Victoria Stellas’ sun-kissed trip had been to Syros, a stunning island in the Aegean Sea around 27 miles west of Mykonos, in what should have been the perfect break
Victoria Stellas was placed in an induced coma for 42 days(Image: Victoria Stellas)
A Greek island getaway turned into a horror ordeal when a tick bite triggered a medical emergency that left a holidaymaker in a coma for almost six weeks. The trip had been to Syros, a sun-soaked island in the Aegean Sea around 27 miles west of Mykonos, on what should have been the perfect break.
But the nightmare only became clear after returning home, when night-time seizures began. In the first stages of her hospital treatment, Victoria Stellas said there was little clarity about the cause, remembering that “no one knew” what was “wrong”.
The BBC reports she was later transferred by air to a specialist neurology centre, where doctors placed her into an induced coma for 42 days.
After the incident in 2019, she was diagnosed with tick-borne encephalitis, known as TBE, a viral infection that can be spread through the bite of an infected tick. Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that latch on to a person or animal to feed.
Ticks are blood-feeding parasites that attach to a host’s body (stock)(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
In the first stages of her hospital treatment, she said there was little clarity about the cause, remembering that “no one knew” what was “wrong”.
Victoria said: “I just kept on having seizures and no-one knew what was wrong. It was an unusual infection, and they didn’t have the experts, I think, to diagnose this.
“Altogether it was about six months from when I was in hospital, the treatment afterwards. Sometimes, I just keep quiet. I was outgoing before.”
In rare cases, tick-borne encephalitis can progress to the brain. The NHS says this can trigger serious symptoms including a stiff neck and severe headache, seizures, sensitivity to light, behavioural changes, confusion, slurred speech, and weakness or loss of movement.
Before that stage, most people will not notice any symptoms at all. Those who do may develop flu-like signs such as a high temperature, fatigue, headaches, body aches and nausea.
The NHS says ticks infected with TBE can be found in both Asia and Europe (stock)(Image: Getty Images)
The NHS also notes that ticks capable of carrying TBE are found in Asia and Europe, including the UK, and in countries such as Russia, China and Japan, although the chance of catching TBE in Britain is “very low”.
Victoria’s struggle with the condition left her with impaired memory, and she tragically lost her jobs. She had worked in a pub and as a teaching assistant, but “couldn’t remember the names” of children and staff.
She said: “Tell me a job that doesn’t require memory? Everything you do in life requires a memory. Shopping, working, travelling.”
Determined to raise awareness of tick-borne encephalitis, she now speaks to students at Bangor University each year and says her seizures have become less frequent.
But she is still living with the effects. She said she could “recognise everyone” yet could not remember people’s names – an issue that continues to trouble her – and she now takes between 15 and 18 tablets a day.
She believes she may have been bitten at a brother-in-law’s property where goats are kept. Born in Greece, she said she was unaware a vaccine existed. The NHS advises people to consider a TBE vaccination when travelling to at-risk countries, although it must be paid for privately.
She also paid tribute to the family and friends who supported her through the ordeal. Her mother, Liz Stellas, said insect bites can bring “profound change” and pointed to a lack of awareness about the issue.
You can read more about TBE on the NHS website.