Tail warning: How to protect yourself from Lyme disease and TBE!
Tail warning: How to protect yourself from Lyme disease and TBE!
With the beginning of the warmer season, ticks become more active again, and the risk of transmission of diseases by these small parasites increases. Today, on April 6, 2025, health experts made an important message. According to WDR , however, the risk of infection by ticks is not very high. In risk areas, only about 0.1 to 5 percent of the ticks carry the dangerous TBE viruses. In addition, ticks are also bodies of Lyme disease, a bacterial disease that occurs throughout Germany. There is currently no nationwide reporting obligation for this infection, but the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) estimates the number of annual Borreliosis cases at 80,000 to 120,000.
Untreated Borreliosis can have serious health consequences, including joint, heart muscle and nervous systems. While late consequences can be treated by antibiotics, this does not succeed in a few cases. A particularly worrying aspect is that no vaccination against Lyme disease is currently available.protective measures and recommendations
In order to protect themselves from ticking bites and their potential effects, experts recommend various measures. Easy implementable prevention strategies include wearing closed shoes, socks, long pants and long-sleeved tops, especially when staying in forest and meadow landscapes. Special anti -corners, but which only work for about two hours, can also be helpful.
After a stay outdoors, the body should be searched carefully for ticks. If a stab is done, it is important to pull out the tick quickly with tweezers or tick pliers in order to avoid transmission of pathogens. The puncture site should then be disinfected well.
The constant vaccination commission (STIKO) recommends a TBE vaccination for people who live in risk areas or work in professions who expose them to a higher risk, as in forestry or agriculture. This vaccination is taken over by most statutory health insurance companies.
ticks and their way of life
ticks, which belong to the limb and the class of the arachnids, are ectoparasites that suck blood from vertebrates, including people. Around 900 ticks are known and some of them are transferred to zoonoses. It should be noted that ticks live in the vegetation close to the ground such as high grass, bushes and undergrowth. While they occur throughout Germany, TBE risk areas are often equated with a pure tick area, which is not correct.
The transmission of TBE viruses takes place immediately at the stitch, as they are located in the salivary glands of the tick. Protective measures should therefore be taken proactively before a tick bite occurs. Some specific recommendations include:
- Vaccination against TBE
- wearing long clothing
- Use of anti-tick spray
- Thorough search for stays outdoors
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Quellen | |