If the winter is mild, ticks are active all year round. Anyone who spends a lot of time outside in spring and summer should check themselves regularly for tick bites.
The common woodbuck is particularly widespread in Germany. This type of tick is just 3.5 millimeters long in its original stage, but when full of blood it can grow to twelve to 14 millimeters long. If the tick manages to feed itself completely on its host, it can go for years without another blood meal. Anyone who discovers a tick on an area of skin should act quickly. The animals can transmit diseases and should be removed from the skin immediately.
TBE and Lyme disease
The two most well-known diseases that ticks can cause are TBE and Lyme disease. TBE is the abbreviation for tick-borne encephalitis, which is caused by the TBE viruses. If a tick bites, it can transmit the virus into the human body through its mouthparts. According to the
Bavarian State Ministry of Health,
TBE disease is
an inflammatory disease of the brain, meninges or spinal cord. Doctors can only treat the symptoms. There is a vaccination against TBE that is recommended for everyone who is in TBE risk areas.
However, there is no vaccination against Lyme disease. The bacterial infection can be easily treated with antibiotics. The sooner specialists diagnose it, the better. The longer the tick has the opportunity to suck blood, the more likely it is that the bacteria will be transmitted. The first sign of a possible Lyme disease infection is usually a red circle that forms on the skin around the puncture site. If you discover such a circle, go to the doctor immediately.
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Card and tweezers
The
Robert Koch Institute
(RKI) recommends pulling a tick out of your skin as quickly as possible. The best way to do this is to use pointed tweezers or a special tick card. Grab the tick as close to the surface of the skin as possible so that you can pull out all parts of the tick's body. If the head gets stuck in the skin, see a doctor immediately. Under no circumstances should you pull the tick out by its soaked rear end. You may feel some resistance in your skin as you slowly pull straight out, this is normal. You don't have to turn the tick clockwise when pulling it out.
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The
RKI
warns against rubbing the tick with glue or oil before pulling it out. According to
the RKI
, this would
only irritate the animals more, causing them to release more saliva and making the transmission of diseases more likely. After removing the tick, disinfect the puncture site thoroughly and examine the extracted tick body for completeness. You can find picture instructions on how to correctly remove ticks from the
Bavarian State Office of Public Health,
for example .
This article only contains general information on the respective health topic and is therefore not intended for self-diagnosis, treatment or medication. It in no way replaces a visit to the doctor. Our editors are not allowed to answer individual questions about medical conditions.