TBE in children can run a severe course and may lead to permanent sequelae. In children and juveniles, meningitis is the predominant form of the disease; this is why the infection usually takes a milder course with better prognosis than in adults. Retrospective studies have shown TBE infection occur as young as 3 months. A higher incidence of TBE was reported in boys (ratio 7:3), who show signs of focal encephalitis more often.There is a clear tendency for a more severe course of TBE above the age of 7 years. Severe cases have been reported even in young children with permanent neurologic sequelae, mild or severe, e.g. headache, behavioral disorder, seizures, pareses. The most common symptoms and signs of acute TBE in children are raised body temperature (38°C), headache and meningeal signs, fatigue and vomiting. Cizman also reports an unusually high rate of children aged 0–15 years, which were hospitalized (n=133) due to severe TBE virus infection in Slovenia between 1993 and 1998.

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