Already four TBE cases by ticks

Bavaria: Beware of TBE by ticks

04/01/2015

The tick season has just begun, as already the first cases of FSME (tick-borne encephalitis) in Bavaria are reported. As Health Minister Melanie Huml (CSU) on Tuesday in Erlangen told the news agency „dpa“ announced that four people were already registered. She urgently recommends vaccination against the tick-borne infectious disease, which may be accompanied by inflammation of the meninges, brain and spinal cord.

Vaccination protects against TBE
Severe courses of FSME can cause paralysis and other permanent damage. „For a complete vaccine protection, three vaccinations within one year are required, "reported Nikolaus Frühwein, President of the Bavarian Society of Immunology, Tropical Medicine and Immunization, to the agency. „Overall, the vaccine is very well tolerated, and we especially recommend it to people who are often in nature. "

In 2014, a total of 123 FSME cases were reported in Bavaria. In the previous year there were about 50 more. However, according to the Minister of Health, a general decline in the number of cases could not be discussed. „The TBE risk areas in Bavaria have expanded considerably in recent years, "says Huml, adding that 80 of the 96 districts in Bavaria or independent cities are at risk for the pathogens, with the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria having the greatest impact.

Body-covering clothing protects against tick bites
Ticks become active in spring from six degrees Celsius. A walk in the woods or in the meadow is enough to give the little bloodsuckers an involuntary blood meal. In their bite but ticks the pathogens with the saliva. But not every animal carries the TBE virus in itself. Ticks transmit so-called Borrelia bacteria much more frequently. These are bacteria that can trigger Lyme disease. There is no vaccine against Lyme disease. However, the disease can usually be successfully treated with antibiotics if it is diagnosed on time. A typical sign of the infection is a red ring around the spot of the tick bite. In the further course, muscle and joint pain as well as fever can occur.
If the Lyme disease is not treated include, among others, joint, heart muscle and nerve inflammation to the long-term consequences.

This year 140 people already got sick. Last year, 100 cases were registered at that time. „Lyme disease is about 200 times more common than FSME, "said Andreas Zapf, president of the State Office of Public Health, to the news agency.

How best to protect yourself from ticks?
In order to prevent tick bites, people who are in the nature should wear body-covering clothing, especially long pants. Because the animals can not get through the clothes. To block their way through the trouser leg, the socks should be pulled over the pants. Anti-mosquito spray can be applied to free skin areas. On the packaging is noted whether the agent also acts against ticks.

After staying outdoors, the body should be thoroughly scanned for ticks. If an animal has bitten down, it is important to remove it carefully with the help of a pair of ticks. In no case supposed home remedies such as oil or glue should be used because the tick is killed by it and her stomach contents - including bacteria and viruses - in the blood of the host gives.