TBE and borreliosis: Corona helps ticks - record number of infections feared

The corona pandemic and mild temperatures create ideal conditions for ticks.

Infectious diseases such as TBE and Lyme disease are therefore spreading.

• The Corona * pandemic and mild temperatures favor the spread of

  ticks

  .

• The number

  of

  TBE

  infections was

  already

  at a record high in

  2020

  .

• The forecasts for

  TBE

  and

  Lyme disease are also

  worrying

  for 2021

  .

  You can protect yourself with these tips.

Frankfurt - Spring also begins the

tick season

.

The season in Germany usually starts in February and runs until October.

However, this time period can shift with corresponding temperatures.

Experts are already warning that, as a

result of climatic changes

, certain types of ticks

are looking for hosts at an earlier stage to bite them.

The often unnoticed bites can be dangerous for people, because

ticks

transmit infectious diseases such as

Lyme disease 

and

early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE

).

As early as 2020, the number of TBE cases rose to a

record level

, which was not least due to the corona pandemic *.

Because in

lockdown

, more people were drawn to

nature

in good weather

.

In Germany, more people fell ill with

TBE

than ever since mandatory reporting began 20 years ago, said the Stuttgart University of Hohenheim.

High numbers of infections are also expected for 2021.

A

worrying trend is

thus continuing

.

TBE and Lyme disease: Warning of high infection rates - ticks on the rise

"I am expecting the

second highest TBE year

since records began in 2001," said Franz Rubel from the Vienna Institute for Public Veterinary Affairs at the beginning of March.

There will be an above-average number of small parasites in the course of the year.

This emerges from a prognosis by Rubel and other researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, which

predicts

the

tick density

on the basis of a mathematical model

.

The forecast model was developed using tick observations from southern Germany between 2009 and 2020.

According to the model, 540 TBE cases nationwide are expected in the current year.

However, one point is not included in this early prognosis.

year	TBE diseases in Germany
2020	704
2019	445
2018	583
	Source: RKI

Because as in 2020, the

corona pandemic will

also have an impact on leisure

behavior

in 2021.

Mild weather and rising temperatures will lure many people outside.

Long hikes and other outdoor activities take place in nature in meadows and forests.

"We still need about ten percent corona surcharge," said Rubel.

After

704 TBE diseases

in the past year, Rubel expects a total of around 600 cases in 2021.

But how can people

protect themselves

from

tick bites

and an illness with

TBE and Lyme disease

?

Ticks transmit TBE and Lyme disease: How people can protect themselves from bites

Especially people who live in risk areas where many ticks * are active should be careful.

There is a vaccination

against

TBE 

.

Most people infected with TBE remain symptom-free, but in severe cases this viral disease can

lead

to

encephalitis

and damage the spinal cord.

The risk of infection in risk areas varies from region to region.

Overall, according to experts, the probability of a TBE infection after a

tick bite

in a risk area is 1:50 to 1: 100.

People who are outdoors and at risk of

tick bites

should get

vaccinated

.

In risk areas such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, the costs are covered by the health insurance companies.

On the

other hand, there is no vaccination

against

Lyme disease infection

, only caution helps here.

There are a few things to watch out for when you are outdoors for a long time.

Where ticks occur in nature: "When a person comes by, they hold on"

Ticks are

found wherever there are plants.

What many do not know, however, is that ticks do not fall from trees and they cannot jump either.

Instead, they climb

blades of grass

or

bushes

.

"If an animal or a person comes by, it is stripped off on contact and holds on," says the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) website.

The arachnids can therefore be found at a height of less than a meter, often only between 10 and 50 cm above the ground.

However, there are also species that actively crawl towards humans.

Ticks

often bite protected areas on the body so that they do not run the risk of being

torn out

by the

host

. Such places are the head but also on the armpits, elbows, navel, in the genital area or the hollows of the knees. The body should therefore be searched thoroughly after walks in nature. If a tick is found, remove it immediately * and observe the area. If there is a reddening that is getting bigger and bigger, a doctor should be consulted.

Closed clothing and sturdy shoes

provide protection against tick bites

. (svw with dpa)

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.