Tick-time React quickly after the tick bite

The tick season has begun. It lasts until at least October. Parents should therefore regularly check their children for ticks. Since the dangerous pathogens spread in the bloodstream eight to twelve hours after the tick bite, the ticks should be removed as soon as possible. Especially children, who visit so-called forest kindergartens, have a particularly high risk of contracting borreliosis, warns the pediatricians (BVKJ) in Cologne. "The arachnids prefer to stick in high grass as well as at the transition from the bush or forest to the meadow," said the association.

In the warm season, the activity of the ticks increases immensely and caution is required. Ticks lurk everywhere in nature, waiting for their blood meal. Most are the small rodents and other forest inhabitants that are attacked. If you do not protect yourself enough with long clothing, you can also infest humans, which would not be too bad if the tick did not transmit diseases.

Lyme disease is the disease most commonly transmitted by the tick. Studies show that every third tick is colonized with Borrelia. It is estimated that in Germany annually about 800,000 people are infected with the pathogens of Lyme disease. The tendency is increasing.

Check children for ticks every night. Image: Floor / fotolia

To protect yourself from the Lyme disease special rush is required after the stitch. The tick begins to suckle after this period, and the borrelia are transported from the tick wall into the wound. If the tick is removed within 8 - 12 hours after the sting, the risk of developing Lyme disease can be greatly reduced.
If the tick was removed professionally, it should not be thrown away immediately. With a quick test for Lyme disease, the tick can be tested directly for the pathogens. If the test is negative, there are no Lyme disease pathogens in the tick and there is no risk of infection. If the test is positive it does not automatically mean that you are infected. However, in combination with the Boo checklist, where the tick size and symptoms are listed, results within a week after tick bite an overall picture. This allows the doctor to decide immediately if antibiotic treatment is necessary.

If a host - human or animal - within reach of the tick can fall on him and sucks for their blood meal. This is not dangerous at first, however, the small bloodsuckers can transmit pathogens via their saliva. If parents discover a tick with their children, they should therefore remove the animal as quickly as possible, as informed by the Association of Paediatricians (BVKJ).

Ticks can transmit Lyme disease and Early Summer Meningo Encephalitis (TBE)
The most dreaded illnesses that can be caused by tick bites include Lyme disease and early-summer Meningo encephalitis (TBE). While a vaccine is available against TBE, it is only possible to protect yourself from Lyme disease by a thorough search after an outdoor stay. But even then, a tick may have transmitted the pathogens.

Parents should note the day they spot the tick on their child. Also, the residence time of the animal in the skin is important. If the child experiences a fever, headache, or redness around the bite, parents should seek out a pediatrician for possible Lyme disease. Treatment is with antibiotics and is usually successful if done on time. If a Lyme disease remains untreated, joint complaints and nerve paralysis can be one of the long-term consequences.

Vaccination against TBE
The infectious disease FSME can be associated with inflammation of the meninges, brain and spinal cord and cause severe damage to health damage such as paralysis. Since there is no causal therapy for TBE - only individual symptoms can be alleviated with medication - experts advise people who live in the risk areas and stay outdoors to vaccinate against the disease. Tourists and commuters should also consider vaccination if they are traveling in the risky areas of nature.