Southern Germany Greatest danger for tick bites

Danger by tick bites in southern Germany particularly high

07/05/2013

Although the cases of brain inflammation as a result of a tick bite have declined in the last year, the danger was not banned - instead, on the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) in the south of Germany vaccinations should be used to minimize the risk of infection.

Lyme disease and TBE by tick bites
Ticks are usually in the warm months, i. active from March to October, then you are u.a. on grass or loose leaves in the forest on the lookout for potential victims - they have located this a well-blooded spot (such as the squat), stabs the tick and sucks blood. A tick bite can in principle be harmless - if there were not the risk of Lyme disease and the so-called tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

TBE can lead to encephalitis
Early-summer meningoencephalitis (TBE) is a viral infection that, in particularly severe cases, can lead to encephalitis and spinal cord damage, and in the worst case can be fatal. TBE is transmitted almost exclusively by infected ticks, because if the tiny arachnids sting, the pathogen can be transported by saliva. The TBE virus does not always trigger symptoms, but sufferers often do not even notice anything about the infection, but initially suffer from flu-like symptoms such as fever, headaches and body aches. In many cases, after a first improvement in the symptoms, fever reappears after a few days. There is a risk that the meninges and brain may become inflamed. In some cases, the spinal cord is also affected and, depending on the course of the disease, for example, severe head and head Neck pain, nausea, seizures or paralysis.

Robert Koch Institute publishes overview of TBE risk areas
Now has the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) in Berlin in the current „Epidemiological bulletin“ published an evaluation of tick-borne encephalitis reported that the number of cases last year was lower than ever since reporting began in 2001. In 2012, 195 cases of FSME were reported to RKI in 2012, compared to a year earlier even 423 and in 2006 even 546 and thus the most diseases had been registered so far. According to the RKI, the sometimes massive fluctuations between the years could have different reasons: „People's recreational behavior influences the risk of getting in contact with ticks and is also influenced by the weather. Last but not least, the number of cases can also be influenced by the awareness of the disease as well as by the diagnostic and reporting behavior of the doctors.“

Risk in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg particularly high
The likelihood of developing encephalitis caused by a tick bite is different in the various areas of Germany: indeed, although nationwide 141 circles are reported as TBE risk areas, but while in Bavaria (80 counties) and Baden-Württemberg (43 counties ) the majority of the regions are considered to be risky, in neighboring countries in some cases only a few districts are affected, for example in Rhineland-Palatinate and the Saarland one circle each, seven in Thuringia and nine in Hesse.

Prevention: The TBE vaccine
Since there are no drugs to treat TBE, doctors and experts recommend vaccination. Accordingly, the Standing Committee for Vaccination (STIKO) recommends a TBE vaccination for all persons living in or at risk areas „who are at risk (in risk areas, eg forestry workers and exposed persons working in agriculture, as well as exposed laboratory personnel)“, so the information in „Epidemiological bulletin“ of the RKI. Even those who are holidaying in the risk areas could, according to the STIKO under certain circumstances „have a corresponding risk of infection, which can be minimized by timely vaccination“, moreover, the vaccination recommendation of STIKO does not apply exclusively in the endangered areas, because: „a vaccine for certain people, eg. For example, those who are exposed to particularly intensive tick exposure due to occupational or certain recreational activities may also be useful in areas with no increased TBE incidence, but with sporadic TBE individual diseases, in the sense of individual vaccination“, so the RKI. A time-limited vaccine protection (for vacationers, for example) would require at least two doses of the vaccine, but a longer-lasting vaccine protection would require three, and booster vaccines should be given at intervals of three to five years.

Lyme disease remains the most common tick-borne disease
Despite the increased TBE risk in some parts of Germany, the most common tick-borne disease in this country, with tens of thousands of cases a year, is Lyme disease, which is prevalent throughout the country - but against which there is no vaccine compared to FSME. Pathogen is the bacterial species here „Borrelia“, who get into the blood with the sting of a tick. A typical symptom of Lyme disease is a red skin ring around the puncture site, which is also referred to as "Wanderröte", in addition it comes to muscle and joint pain, sometimes fever. The treatment of Lyme disease should be as early as possible, usually by the prescription of antibiotics - if this is left out, there is a risk of serious sequelae such as joint, heart muscle and brain inflammation. Since there is no vaccine against Lyme disease, measures to protect against tick bites such as long pants and long-sleeved clothing are particularly important. (No)

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Image: Tamara Hoffmann