it's not only Lyme disease, encephalitis cases are also rising

There is a lot of talk about lyme disease. However, an equally serious disease can also be transmitted by a tick: the meningo-encephalitis verno-summer, caused by the FSME virus. Recall that the term "encephalitis" is used to describe an inflammation of the brain.

A verno-summer meningoencephalitis, also called tick meningoencephalitis, is often asymptomatic, the patients showing no sign of disease at the beginning of incubation of the virus. Subsequently, the pathology generally evolves in two phases: appearance of flu-like symptoms, followed by neurological disorders, such as headaches, sensitivity to light, dizziness, disorders of concentration and walking. These disorders can last for weeks or even months.

30 to 40% of patients have significant sequelae

In Switzerland, "until the end of June, an estimated 21,300 medical consultations for a sting In multi-year comparison, this value is very high, "says the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) in the latest edition of its newsletter, published Monday, July 9. Last year, a record 257 cases of tick-borne encephalitis were recorded, a level that had not been reached since 2000. In France, this disease affects only Alsace. There are no statistics specific to this region, but it is possible to refer to those of neighboring Germany. Beyond the Rhine, 200 to 500 cases are reported each year. In comparison, 60 000 to 100 000 people develop Lyme disease every year in Germany. Overall, the risk of contracting tick-borne meningitis is low, since even in high-risk areas, only one in every 50 to 100 tick carries the virus.

When accompanied by neurological symptoms, a meningo- Verno-summer encephalitis is fatal in about 1% of cases. 30 to 40% of patients have significant sequelae (cognitive disorders, persistent headache, ataxia, tremor, hearing loss, dysphasia …).

An effective vaccine

There is no specific treatment for this pathology, but a vaccine effective is available. It is recommended for people staying in an endemic area during the tick season (February to November). Vaccination consists of three injections: the first two are spaced one to three months apart and the 3rd ^e injection is made between 5 and 12 months after the second. In the case of an imminent departure, the first two injections can be reduced to 14 days. A reminder should then be done every 3 years, unless a blood test shows a protective level of antibodies.

In the absence of treatment, it is therefore very important to protect against tick bites, especially by wearing light clothing to distinguish them more easily on the fabric, with closed shoes, to cover the head and to favor open paths rather than tall grbad. Do not forget to carefully inspect each person after a risky ride, as well as pets.

A ticker (sold in pharmacies) is essential

If you have been stung, it is urgent to remove the tick quickly, if possible within 12 to 36 hours after the bite. A ticker (sold in a pharmacy) is essential to remove it by grasping it in the direction of the axis of its body (in order to remove the whole body) and by turning it counter-clockwise

Verno-summer meningoencephalitis is not the only infection that ticks can transmit to humans. Six other vector pathologies have been identified in France: the famous lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, tularemia, Q fever and two rickettsioses, TIBOLA (tick-terminal lymphadenopathy) and LAR (lymphangitis-badociated rickettsiosis).