The purpose of this study is to investigate the efficacy of dexamethasone in patients with tick-borne encephalitis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• age 18 years or older and
• clinical signs and symptoms of meningoencephalitis or meningomyelitis and
• cerebrospinal pleocytosis and
• serological confirfmation of tick-borne encephalitis virus infection

Exclusion Criteria:

• pregnancy or
• severe neurological impairment befor tick-borne encephalitis or
• systemic corticosteroid treatment in the past 30 days or
• allergy to corticosteroids or
• immunosuppresive condition or therapy such as HIV with CD4 < 200/ml, organ or bone marrow transplant, receiving chemotherapy, radiotherapy or any other immunosuppresive therapy, primary immunodeficiency, hematological maliganncy or
• ventricular shunt or
• endoscopically documented peptic gastric ulcer in the past six months or gastrointestinal bleeding with hemoglobin drop ≥ 20 units or
• uncontrolled diabetes with hyperglicemia or
• antiviral therapy with rilpivirin

The anonymous data generated or analysed during the trial will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

As expected from September 30 2028

The anonymous data generated or analysed during the trial will be available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request after the study results are published.