Lyme disease

Through tick bites. The pathogens of Lyme disease, also known as Borrelia, can be transmitted to humans through a tick bite. In Germany, depending on the region, up to one third of ticks are infected with Borrelia. However, not every bite from an infested tick leads to infection. The risk of infection is also lower if the tick is removed early and increases after the tick has sucked for longer than twelve hours. Only about one in 100 tick bites in Germany leads to the person bitten contracting Lyme disease. Important: Lyme disease is not transmitted from person to person.

Many infections run their course without visible signs of illness. As a typical early sign of the disease, the wandering redness appears a few days to weeks after the tick bite. Late forms of Lyme disease, on the other hand, can occur months or even years after the tick bite.

Those who fall ill are not contagious.

Most infections with Borrelia go unnoticed. However, if symptoms do occur, they are very different and can occur at different times individually or in combination. This means that Lyme disease is not always easy to recognise. A typical sign that occurs in about 90% of cases is the so-called migratory redness (erythema migrans). This is a ring-shaped reddening of the skin at least 5 cm in size, which is usually paler in the middle than at the edges and slowly spreads outwards over days. The migratory redness develops three to 30 days after the tick bite in the area of the bite site. However, it can also occur on other parts of the body, such as the legs, head or neck. Fever, swelling of the lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain are also possible as the disease progresses. Inflammatory nerve irritations are also possible, leading to feelings of numbness, visual or hearing disorders and, in rare cases, paralysis of the trunk, arms or legs.

• Early treatment with antibiotics usually leads to a quick and complete recovery. It can prevent severe courses of the disease.
• Preventive antibiotic administration after a tick bite without signs of disease is not recommended.
• If the above-mentioned wandering redness occurs, you should see your doctor immediately, even if you do not remember a tick bite. You should also consult your doctor if you experience symptoms such as fever, muscle aches and headaches after a tick bite.
• If migratory redness is present, Lyme disease can be diagnosed by the doctor through a physical examination. In the case of other complaints that point to Lyme disease, a laboratory examination of the blood can be carried out for clarification.
• Having survived Lyme disease does not protect against a new infection.

A vaccination against Lyme disease is not yet available in Europe. A vaccination against the tick-borne viral infection TBE (early summer meningoencephalitis) does not protect against Lyme disease. The best protection is therefore to avoid tick bites. However, if you are bitten by a tick, removing the tick quickly helps to keep the risk of Lyme disease low.

Avoid tick bites

• Wear closed shoes, long-sleeved shirts and long trousers when in the forest or meadows. Pull the stockings over the trouser legs.
• It is best to choose light-coloured clothing, then the tiny dark ticks are easier to spot and remove.
• If you apply tick repellents to your skin before going into the woods or meadows, follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully. Important: The effect of the products is limited in time and does not offer complete protection.
• Despite prevention, thoroughly search the body for ticks after spending time in nature. Ticks like warm, soft areas of skin. Therefore, search especially in the back of the knees, in the groin, under the armpits, behind the ears and on the head and hairline.

Remove ticks quickly
Ticks should always be removed as soon as possible. If a tick is removed in the first few hours after being bitten, the risk of contracting Lyme disease is only very slight.