The entire state of Baden-Württemberg, except for the urban district of Heilbronn, is a tick risk area. These arachnids have been able to spread particularly well in the mild winter. Therefore, medical experts advise vaccination against possible infection.
Three doses of vaccine provide protection
In the district of Böblingen, among others, one person has already fallen ill with a brain disease caused by tick bites. The disease is called early summer meningoencephalitis (abbreviated to FSME). It is a viral disease for which there is no cure. However, there is protection: vaccination. A total of three vaccinations are given. Protection is provided by the second vaccination. The third vaccination should be given within a year.
Wear appropriate clothing outdoors
Ticks like to sit in tall grass, bushes, gardens or in the forest and lurk for their victims. Experts advise protecting yourself from their bites by wearing long, closed clothing and sturdy shoes in these areas. There are also anti-tick sprays.
Check your home for parasites
If you have been out and about in meadows or forests, you should check your body for parasites when you get home – especially warm, damp places such as the back of your knees or armpits. Tick bites can cause not only TBE but also Lyme borreliosis, a bacterial disease.
Pull out ticks with a pair of tweezers
The parasites should be grasped directly on the skin as quickly as possible using tweezers or a tick remover and slowly pulled straight up and out. The wound should then be disinfected.
Information and answers to frequently asked questions about TBE and vaccination are provided by the Robert Koch Institute at RKI | Factsheet TBE
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