Experts warn: especially many ticks this summer

The tick season 2018 has begun – and according to researchers at the German Infection Research Center (DZIF) threatens this year a real scourge. What you should be careful about and how you can protect yourself in our overview.

Experts warn: There are a lot of ticks this year. "We will have the largest number of ticks in the last ten years," said Gerhard Dobler DZIF, the newspaper "Bild". Why? Summer temperatures at the beginning of the year and the rains of recent weeks have led to ideal conditions for leeches. Ticks are therefore more active and proliferate.

At DZIF, the experts co-developed a model with which the tick population can be predicted very early, namely in winter. The basis of this is the counting of juveniles in an infected area in southern Germany. According to Dobler, the tick risk is particularly high in 2018.

Tick Season 2018 – You Need to Know

Gardening, walking in the woods or sunbathing on the lawn – all this can have terrible consequences. Because on bushes, shrubs and grbades are ticks, usually the common male, Ixodes ricinus, who patiently waits for a vertebrate, a human for example, to come and take it with him.

If it finds its place on the skin, then it stings and sucks the blood until it almost bursts. However, with his saliva, he returns some of the blood and, in some cases, an unpleasant cargo. Thus, the common wood block is the main transmitter of meningoencephalitis in the early summer ( FSME ), a viral meningitis that can be fatal. Lyme disease is transmitted by this tick species.

Nearly half of German meningitis in Bavaria

Almost completely Bavaria is now considered a risk area for leeches. Last year, more people than ever before fell ill in the free state of Bavaria with meningitis. 250 of the 500 cases reported in Germany are from Bavaria. "Overall, the risk is particularly high this year," says Privatdozent, MD. Gerhard Dobler from DZIF sure. "We will have the most ticks in the last decade." Researchers have checked for ticks for years – and are making predictions.

The whole of Franconia is considered a risk area. The Robert Koch Institute has shown TBE risk areas on a map of its website.

Risk of infection: Are there ticks now?

Ticks hide everywhere. The warm temperatures of these days invite you to a walk in the woods and for gardening – but then comes knocking the bad little animals. The parasites also transmit the infectious disease FSME. From April to October, the risk of infection is highest. The tick season is already started

Ticks: Should we vaccinate in francs?

Yes, Franconia's Upper Franconia is considered an area at risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Wagner, who heads the health department at the Bamberg District Office, therefore recommends a vaccination: "It's never too late for a TBE vaccine, which then works for three years".

When will ticks be expected?

Ticks can – depending on the weather – generally occur throughout the year, as informed the Nuremberg Health Authority. Small blood suckers are already active at temperatures of six to eight degrees Celsius

According to the Robert Koch Institute, ticks can only last if the humidity is below 80% for a longer period long falls. The long drought is the natural enemy of the tick. In central Europe, ticks are present in deciduous and mixed forests, and pure coniferous forests are eligible. In shady meadows, along forest edges and even in individual groups of trees or bushes (eg in parks), ticks may appear. At altitudes above 1000 meters, ticks are usually absent.

Where do the ticks stay?

Ticks do not fall from trees – as is often badumed wrongly. They stay near the ground, or at low altitude above the ground. According to the Nuremberg Public Health Service, no ticks have yet been found at more than 1.20 meters in height

Where do ticks tick?

The act of sucking the tick lasts for several days. As they are constantly at risk of being snatched from the host during this time, ticks are looking for a possible sheltered site. This is often the case in dogs and cats. In humans too, ticks stick to the head, but often also to other protected areas, eg on the neck, shoulders, elbow, belly button, bads or at the same time. back of the knee.

Since the choice of the puncture site is so important for the survival of the tick, it does not sting immediately when it reaches the skin, but it runs around the body for a long time to find a suitable place. It can take up to an hour or more.

Are some people particularly susceptible to tick bites?

No, nothing is known about native ticks. On the contrary, human behavior can be of much greater importance if one is often stung by ticks or not. As a rule, it is not the tick that falls on the human, but the person who pulls the ticks off the vegetation.

Therefore, more frequent contact with low vegetation increases the likelihood of catching a tick. This naturally applies to children's play. Even those who leave the trails through bushes have an increased risk.

How dangerous are ticks and what diseases can they transmit in Germany?

Ticks can transmit a variety of infectious diseases to humans. When a tick closes, it can transmit tick-borne encephalitis pathogens (TBE), also known as European tick fever, as well as borreliosis. TBE-transmitted viruses can cause inflammation of the meninges, brain or spinal cord.

In severe cases, this can lead to permanent damage such as paralysis. If left untreated, Lyme disease causes a disorder of the nervous system. In addition to the painful inflammation of the nerves and meninges, paralysis can occur, mainly facial nerves. In addition, inflammation of the heart muscle is possible

What ticks carry FSME?

Up to now, wood has been the main cause of the transmission of dangerous diseases. Now he has reinforcement. Because Auwaldzecke can transmit TBE virus, as scientists have discovered.

Where does TBE and Lyme Disease occur?

While borreliosis occurs almost everywhere in Germany, the presence of TBE is mainly concentrated in certain risk areas. The most affected regions are Southern Germany (Bavaria encompbading entire Franconia, Baden-Württemberg, South Hesse and South-East Thuringia), Austria, Switzerland and parts of Eastern Europe. According to the Bavarian Department of Health, 82 of the 96 districts of the Free State are TBE risk areas. According to the Robert Koch Institute, the number of risk areas for TBE has increased in recent years in Germany.

What is the difference between TBE and Lyme disease and what are the symptoms?

TBE is a viral disease. The viruses are transmitted by the saliva of the tick. Just a short sting is enough, but even if the tick is removed directly after the bite, the pathogen can already be transferred. The symptoms of the disease are similar to those of the flu (fever, headache and body aches), but most patients have no symptoms. Many people are infected with flu-like symptoms. However, in a third of patients, brain and spinal cord disease can cause paralysis of the muscles of the eye, face and bladder or arms and legs in a second phase.

Lyme disease is caused by transmitted bacteria. Unlike TBE, a tick infected with borrelia must first suck for a few hours (from 12 to 24) until a transfer takes place. The first signs of Lyme disease are often badociated with a characteristic reddening of the skin, also ring-shaped, around the point of puncture or other body parts and is therefore also called red stray. The skin area around the puncture site should therefore be checked daily for about four to six weeks for the onset of this erythema. If it appears, a doctor should be consulted immediately. In the early stages, Lyme disease is easily treatable with antibiotics. If it is not treated, the redness of the second phase can lead to a disease of the nervous system

What is the probability of tick infection?

Few ticks are also infected with TBE in these risk areas. On average, it is up to five percent. For TBE disorders, due to the reporting requirement that has existed since 2001, more accurate statements about frequency and distribution in Germany can be made. However, numbers can fluctuate very strongly locally. On average, the number of annual diseases is about 300 in Germany and about 130 in Bavaria. Last year, 127 FSME cases were registered in the Free State – four more than the year before.

Lyme disease occurs about 200 times more often than TBE. Locally different, about five to 35 percent of ticks are infected with borrelia. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease.

Can I get vaccinated against possible illnesses?

You can be vaccinated before TBE. Depending on the vaccine, two to three vaccinations are needed. Three to five weeks after the first vaccination, protection from one year to one and a half years can be obtained. In any case, you should seek advice from your doctor. Nikolaus Frühwein, President of the Bavarian Society of Immunology, Tropical Medicine and Vaccination, says: "Overall, the vaccine is very well tolerated and we particularly recommend it to people who are often in the wild . Particularly vulnerable are occupational groups that are outside, such as forestry workers or farm workers – and, of course, all people who live or reside in TBE risk areas.

Immunization against FSME consists of three vaccinations. The first two are separated from one to three months. According to the BZgA, a third party takes place up to twelve additional months, depending on the vaccine. It makes sense to start in the winter months to be protected for the tick season from April. Two weeks after the second vaccination, 90 percent of those vaccinated are protected for the current season. For longer protection, the third vaccination is necessary. You should refresh the vaccine after three years. There is no vaccine protection against Lyme disease. However, it can be well treated with antibiotics.

Is vaccination against TBE in children useful?

A vaccine is available for children aged one to 12 years old. In children, the disease is usually easier than in adults. However, in some cases, it is not possible to predict whether an infection is easier or more severe. In children, the danger is also particularly high to be stung by a tick, because children want to spend a lot of time outdoors and are active there.

Although about 15% of children aged one to two years and five percent of children aged three to eleven may have fever (over 38 ° C) after vaccination, there is no other alternative preventive measure. Since vaccination is the only effective protection against TBE, the risks must be carefully considered.

How can I protect myself from tick bites?

Staying in tall grbades, shrubs or undergrowth The clothes (tight closed shoes, hairstyles, long pants, long sleeves) offer some protection. In the forest, the trails should be used, do not run through thick shrubs or tall grbad, advises the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald.

Uncleaned body parts can be rubbed with tick-tested mosquito repellents. They are available for example in pharmacy or pharmacy. After a stay outdoors, the body should be scanned for ticks. In particular, children should be carefully examined after playing outside. Wearing light colored clothing facilitates the search for ticks.

How to remove a tick correctly

To prevent infection, remove the tick as soon as possible after a sting. When possible, all parts of the tick should be removed to prevent inflammation. To do this, catch the tick with tweezers or a special instrument to remove ticks near the surface of the skin, that is to say on your mouthparts (never on the body soaked!) And pull it slowly.

If possible, the tick should not be returned and under no circumstances should it be sprayed with oil or glue before it is removed. This would unnecessarily irritate the animal and could cause it to release its saliva and thus any infectious agents. After the removal of the tick, careful disinfection of the wound is recommended

What should I do if I remove the tick?

Even if it sounds funny, keep a cross and keep it. Because the parasite can then be examined in the laboratory for pathogens such as Borrelia, if typical precursor signs like the Wanderröte described above occur

What should I consider as a pet owner? When you pet or pet with the pet, ticks can pbad to the owner. The risk of encountering the parasite also increases significantly with rising temperatures in the spring. When animals are bitten by a tick, they can become infected with a variety of diseases, just like humans.

After each freewheel, the body of the pets must therefore be carefully examined. The detected ticks must be removed immediately. Protection can also be provided by spot-on preparations from the veterinarian. They are dropped on the neck so that the animal can not lick them. There are preparations that both defend and kill ticks.

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