March to October is when ticks are active, increasing the likelihood of tick bites and transmission of diseases such as borreliosis (Lyme disease) and tick-borne encephalitis (FSME).
How to protect yourself from infection and what to do if a tick does bite you.
Your smile is in good hands: dental insurance!
How to protect yourself
Ticks feel especially comfortable at temperatures of about 8 degrees, so their greatest activity occurs in spring and autumn. However, the risks of a bite remain in the summer, and sometimes all year round, depending on the temperature and the type of insect.
Ticks live wherever there are plants - a tick climbs onto a blade of grass or a bush and, upon contact with a person or animal, clings to the victim. Contrary to popular belief, ticks cannot jump and do not fall from trees. Most ticks wait at a height of less than one meter, most often up to 50 cm.
How to protect yourself from a tick bite?
- Use specialized protective repellents and update your protection promptly according to the instructions.
- Wearing protective clothing: When going into the forest or park, choose light-colored clothing with long sleeves and pants, and wear pants with socks. It is easier to spot a small insect on light-colored clothing.
- Carefully inspect your body after being outside - especially folds of skin, scalp and ears.
- Immunization is especially important in regions with a high risk of spreading tick-borne encephalitis. At the moment, there is only a vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (FSME-Impfung), and the only prevention of borreliosis is to avoid bites.
Which regions of Germany have the highest risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis?
In Germany, the risk of contracting tick-borne encephalitis is particularly high in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, southern Hesse, southeastern Thuringia, Saxony and, from 2022, in southeastern Brandenburg. Individual risk areas are also located in Central Hesse, Saarland, Rhineland-Palatinate, Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
To protect against tick-borne encephalitis in these regions recommended vaccination! Contact your Hausarzt, encephalitis vaccination is fully covered by insurance.
© Robert Koch-Institut, 2024
How to protect your pets?
Ticks carry many infections that are dangerous to pets, especially dogs. How to keep your pets safe:
- Use chemicals: drops, collars and sprays. The choice of product should be discussed with your veterinarian. Be aware that collars have a high risk of choking. Update your protection on time according to the instructions.
- Regular inspection of animals after walks.
What should I do if bitten by a tick
If the bite cannot be avoided, then it is necessary to completely remove the insect from the skin as quickly as possible. How to safely remove a tick:
- Use specialized devices, tweezers or thread
- Grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, trying to grab the tick by the head, not just the body.
- Remove the tick completely, avoid tearing off the head
- If the head or jaws remain in the skin, treat the wound with an antiseptic and pull out the parts like a splinter
- The easiest way to dispose of the removed tick is by burning it.
- DO NOT USE oil, gasoline or burning. All this increases the secretion of saliva from the tick (possibly infected) and it enters the bloodstream
- Do not leave tick parts under the skin to avoid inflammation
An example of specialized tick removal kits.
Symptoms of infection with tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis
What symptoms should you be wary of after a tick bite? The symptoms of both diseases are nonspecific and flu-like - fever, weakness, fever, delirium. If symptoms develop within 7-14 days after the bite, you should consult a doctor.
In addition, one of the main symptoms of Lyme disease is erythema migrans. It looks like a ring of redness around the bite (pale in the center, brighter at the edges). You should regularly examine the bite site so as not to miss a symptom and consult a doctor in a timely manner. In some cases, only nonspecific migratory redness of the skin appears.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones and be healthy!
When writing this article, we used official recommendations and information from Robert Koch Institute.
