Small but hungry: Ticks like human blood and like to bite particularly soft spots.
Image: dpa
Hikers and gardeners have to be careful over the next few months, because with spring the ticks are coming back more often. High time to think about the right protection – or even a vaccination.
DThe acquaintance played volleyball in the club, was fit and athletically well trained. But from one day to the next she felt constantly tired and listless, had severe joint pain and was no longer able to perform. After a months-long medical odyssey, a thorough blood test finally determined that the patient was suffering from Lyme disease. But she couldn’t remember a tick bite. A tick bite can happen quickly. The small bloodsuckers prefer to stay in damp forests, tall grass, bushes and leaves, including city parks. Now that the temperatures are constantly rising above five degrees, even at night, their wedding begins.
Ticks are dangerous for humans when they transmit tick-borne encephalitis, or TBE for short, – an inflammation of the brain, meninges or spinal cord that is caused by a virus transmitted by ticks and can be fatal in the worst case. However, such viruses are rare even in designated risk areas. According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), only 0.1 to five percent of ticks in risk zones are infected by the virus. Much more common is Lyme disease, an infectious disease that is caused by bacteria but can also have long-term effects such as inflammation of the nerves and joints.