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Biologist Arnold van Vliet drags a white sheet on the forest floor in Ede. He immediately bit.
After twenty paces, there are already six black dots on the white sheet, from the smallest to the smallest. Ticks thought they had found a new host, but they were biting the dust. With a pair of tweezers, Van Vliet puts the captured critters in a small tube. They go to the university to do some research.
(text continues under photos)
An Effective Method for Capturing Ticks.
Visit the green always tick
Ticks go through four stages of life: egg, larva, nymph and adult tick. To reach the next step, a tick needs blood. This can include mice, deer, birds and dogs, but human blood is also a good meal.
We are the stingers of the nymphs. It is important to always check for ticks after a visit to the green, as one in five ticks at this stage carry the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. Ticks do not only live in the forest, but also in the park or in your own garden.
Two High Asses
It is often thought that tree ticks jump on their prey. This is a misunderstanding, according to the biologist. Draw life near the ground. They are located on the bedding layer and on plants that grow close to the ground, such as blueberries and ferns. But also in the grass that's high-end, a tick feels completely at home.
Every year, 27,000 people develop Lyme disease, according to RIVM data. One million people are bitten by a tick during the same period. This means that 2 in 100 people develop Lyme disease after a tick bite. Only a small group also has long-term complaints. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics, a vaccine is not (yet) available.
New virus
Since 2016, a number of ticks have been detected on Sallandse Heuvelrug and Utrechtse Heuvelrug viruses carrying TBE virus. This virus can cause meningitis. "The chances of that happening are minimal," says Van Vliet. "Do not let that stop you from going out."
In our country, no one has been infected with the active virus in Eastern Europe for some time. If you stay more than three weeks in a region (nature) where the TBE virus is prevalent, it is recommended to get vaccinated. This is not necessary in our country because of the very low risk of infection.
No One Hundred Percent Protection
If you are stung by a tick, it is best to remove it within 24 hours with a tweezers or a special tick nose. Watch for the absence of red circle or three other symptoms of Lyme disease until three months after the bite. You are probably horrified by the thought that such a creature is full of your blood. So you can wear clothes to tick proof.
But you're not 100% protected either. Biologist Arnold van Vliet always puts his pants in his socks when he goes to the woods. In this way, ticks can not easily reach the body through the leg of the pants. Van Vliet willingly accepts that it does not look like this.
Not exactly according to the latest fashions, but effective against tick bites. – Photo: Omroep Gelderland
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