Englandâs players have been warned about the âtruly devastating consequencesâ of tick-borne encephalitis given its prevalence in the area around their World Cup base.
Gareth Southgateâs men jet off to Russia on Tuesday for this summerâs tournament, where they will be based at the forRestMix Club in Repino on the outskirts of St Petersburg.
However, the remote area Harry Kane and Co will call home during the World Cup comes with a health risk, as do some of the places England fans may visit.
Russia has the highest number of reported TBE cases globally and Repino is considered a moderately high zone of a virus the Encephalitis Society calls a âserious health concernâ.
Ava Easton, chief executive of The Encephalitis Society, said in a statement to Press Association Sport: âfootball fans will likely be travelling to sites in Russia where there is a risk of TBE, such as areas like Repino where the England team will be based, and in Nizhny Novgorod for their second game, where the risk is even higher than in Repino.
âIt is recommended that anyone planning to spend time outdoors in these TBE endemic European countries speak to their healthcare professional and take measures to help protect themselves from this disease, which can have truly devastating consequences.â
Easton says the risk of TBE is increased for those undergoing outdoor activities in forested or grassy areas, with an infected bite potentially resulting âin a severe illnessâ.
The NHS say âthe risk of getting seriously ill is lowâ even if bitten, but the viral infection that attacks the central nervous system can cause encephalitis, meningitis or inflammation of the tissues that surround the brain or spinal cord.
Long-term complications include convulsions and paralysis, with the most severe cases leading to death.
The annual number of TBE cases in Russia that are severe enough to require hospitalisation ranges from 5,500 to 10,000.
Press Association Sport understands the Football Association will be taking all necessary precautions during Englandâs stay in Russia.
Advice on the German Football Association website to fans said getting a TBE vaccination was âimportantâ.
Provided by Press Association Sport