Prevention
After a stay in the wild, it is advisable to check the body for ticks when showering or changing clothes, especially in the mentioned preferred places. Especially if you have sat in high grass or walked through undergrowth. If a tick bite has already occurred, the tick should be removed as quickly as possible in a tick-friendly manner.
Long clothing also protects, since the tick needs longer to get to the skin at all. Shake out the clothing well after wearing it and search for ticks if necessary. Insect repellent suitable for the skin and ticks can also be used, but the protection lasts only for a few hours. As already described above, vaccination is only possible against TBE and is also recommended for certain groups of people.
Pregnancy and children
Also during pregnancy it can happen that the expectant mother is stung by a tick. In this case it is especially important to remove the tick as soon as possible. The bite site should be well observed for a few days and if there are signs of reddening migration (see above), a visit to a doctor is necessary.
Both the TBE virus and borreliosis can theoretically pass from an infected mother to the unborn child For this reason, mothers living in a risk area should consider an TBE vaccination before becoming pregnant. It is also assumed that the antibodies of a vaccinated mother can also be transferred to the child, thus providing the child with initial protection. If a tick bite has occurred, it should be removed as soon as possible and the puncture site closely observed.
If the removed tick is already bigger or if the redness starts to wander, antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered with the responsible physician. If antibodies against borrelia are found during a laboratory examination, it is important to carry out detailed ultrasound examinations of the child in order to be able to follow an inconspicuous development.
