Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia Burgdorferi and is transmitted by ticks. Nymphs and adult female ticks in particular can transmit Lyme disease. But you can also become infected by other insects. Think of stings and bites from mosquitoes, midges, hornets, horseflies, lice and spiders. In addition, infection can also be caused by pets, blood transfusion, pregnancy and to a lesser extent by sexual contact. Not every tick or insect carries the Borrelia bacteria.
Important: But above all, continue to enjoy nature!
Prevention and protection
If you go prepared you can prevent a tick bite. Wearing protective clothing and using insect repellent are crucial. It is therefore important to take a proactive approach to tick prevention. This can significantly reduce the risk of contamination. By taking these preventive measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of a tick bite and therefore the risk of Lyme disease.
Preventing Lyme can be promoted by taking the following measures:
1. Protective clothing:
Wear long sleeves and pants, preferably light-colored clothing, to make ticks easier to spot.
2. Use of insect repellents:
Apply insect repellents to exposed skin, for example with Teekaway.
3. Check after outdoor activities:
Check yourself, family members and pets thoroughly for ticks after outdoor activities, especially in areas with lots of grass, shrubs or woods.
4. Stay on trails:
Avoid dense vegetation and brush; stay on trails as much as possible when hiking in wooded areas.
5. Garden maintenance:
Keep your garden tidy by keeping grass short, pruning shrubs and removing leaves to reduce tick-friendly environments.
6. Anti-tick products for pets:
Use tick-resistant products for pets and check them regularly for ticks.
7. Tick card or tweezers:
Make sure you know how to safely remove ticks with a tick card or tweezers, without squeezing the tick.
8. Avoid tall grass and brush:
When outdoors, try to avoid contact with tall grass and brush where ticks often reside.
9. Shower after outdoor activities:
Take a shower immediately after outdoor activities to rinse away any loose ticks.
10. Tick-resistant treatment for clothing:
Consider using tick-resistant treatments for clothing and equipment.
Tick prevention and notifications
Ticks often carry the bacteria of the genus Borrelia Burgdorferi. By biting they can cause Lyme disease. Tick bites are the leading cause of Lyme cases. There is also evidence that the disease can be transmitted differently. For example, by other animals/insects or even through blood-to-blood contact. In recent years, the number of ticks in Europe appears to have increased sharply.
You can get a tick bite in the forest, dunes, heathlands and grasslands, but also in your own garden or in the park. Ticks prefer to live in a warm and moist place in tall grass, low shrubs or other low vegetation. If they need a blood meal, they wait in such a place until a person or animal comes along and they sit on it. They then look for a suitable place - such as the back of the knee, armpit, neck - to attach themselves to the skin with their sucking organ and then immediately start their blood meal.
Ticks generally prefer moister places. That is why Arnold van Vliet, researcher at Wageningen University & Research (WUR), thinks that the dry weather influences the number of ticks. Still, it doesn't hurt to take preventive measures if you regularly go into the woods.