Victoria Stellas' tick bite in Greece triggers 42‑day coma and lasting neurological damage

In 2019, 51‑year‑old Victoria Stellas, a resident of Anglesey in North Wales, was bitten by a tick while holidaying on the Greek island of Syros. The bite transmitted tick‑borne encephalitis (TBE), a viral infection that can inflame the brain. After returning to the United Kingdom she experienced night‑time seizures and severe flu‑like symptoms, but doctors could not initially determine the cause.

She was air‑lifted to the Walton Centre, a specialist neurology hospital in Liverpool, where she was placed in an induced coma for 42 days to control the inflammation. Following intensive treatment lasting about six months, she was diagnosed with TBE. Stellas now suffers permanent memory loss, ongoing epileptic seizures and must take 15‑18 tablets daily. The condition forced her to quit jobs as a pub worker and a teaching‑assistant for children with special needs.

Health experts note a rise in TBE cases across Europe and parts of Asia, emphasizing vaccination and tick‑avoidance measures for travelers to endemic areas.