The tick season has begun – and the little animals can pass on dangerous diseases. We explain which symptoms you need to see a doctor for.
Whether TBE or Lyme disease – anyone who has been bitten by a tick runs the risk of becoming infected. Because if the small animals themselves are infected with these pathogens, they usually transmit them to humans. FOCUS Online explains what symptoms you need to look out for – and when a visit to the doctor would be advisable.
Whether you get sick from a tick bite, or tick bite, as it is correctly called, depends on the animal in question. The sting is dangerous only if the tick itself is the host of an infectious disease. As the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) explains, between 0.1 and 5 percent of ticks in TBE risk areas carry the virus. The occurrence of Borrelia in ticks, on the other hand, varies greatly locally and can be up to 30 percent.
According to the RKI, ticks can transmit a large number of infectious diseases to humans. The most important include the following:
Other diseases transmitted to humans by ticks are, for example, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis or various rickettsioses. So far, however, these infections have not been observed in Germany, or only rarely.
The symptoms of Lyme disease usually appear between seven and ten days after the bite and, according to “Infection Protection.de”, are as follows:
With TBE, on the other hand, according to “Impfen.de”, flu-like symptoms appear on average eight days after the bite:
According to the RKI, however, only a small proportion of people who have been bitten and infected by a tick fall ill – between 0.3 and 1.4 percent.
Lyme disease: If there is a suspicion of Lyme disease, you should first observe a possible reddening regularly. A photo of the spot can also be helpful. If the redness persists after a few days or weeks or even spreads, it is advisable to see a doctor.
TBE: According to the RKI, you should also see a doctor if you develop flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, malaise, headaches or body aches seven to 14 days after a tick bite and a stay in a TBE risk area.
In general, of course, it is advisable to prevent tick bites as much as possible. According to the RKI, you protect yourself against such a thing with the following precautions:
