Be careful this weekend! Experts warn of "extremely high tick activity"

Anyone spending time outdoors these days should take good care to protect themselves against ticks. The Lower Saxony State Health Office (NLGA) recommends this. "Tick activity is currently extremely high," NLGA virologist Masyar Monazahian told the German Press Agency (dpa).

This weekend, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius and rain, extra caution is advised. Monazahian: "Ticks love high humidity, for example during thunderstorms."

Due to mild winters and global warming, ticks are now active year-round , causing them to multiply even more rapidly. According to Monazahian, up to 40 percent of adult ticks are now infected with Borrelia, the pathogen that causes the dangerous Lyme disease . Among young ticks, the number is between 15 and 20 percent—significantly higher than 20 years ago.

The NLGA advises that when out in the woods, on the edge of fields, or even in city parks and your garden, you should wear sturdy shoes and light-colored clothing to help spot the tiny, dark creatures. It's also helpful to apply insect repellent and immediately check your entire body thoroughly after spending time outdoors.

If a tick is discovered, it should always be removed as quickly as possible. "The sooner this happens after the bite, the lower the risk of infection," Prof. Frank Erbguth, President of the German Brain Foundation, told dpa.

And this is how to remove the tick correctly, according to Erbguth:

1. Use tweezers or a tick removal card to grasp the tick by its head, close to the skin. Then pull it out slowly and straight. Do not crush the tick, as this risks releasing more pathogens. Do not apply oil or cream to the tick, either, as this could stress the tick and cause it to release even more pathogens into the body.

2. After removing the tick, carefully disinfect the bite site. Sometimes the tick's proboscis remains after removal. This can cause the skin to become slightly inflamed. However, this does not increase the risk of contracting Lyme disease. Over time, the biting apparatus is shed by the skin.

There is currently no vaccination against Lyme disease. The first symptom is often a growing redness around the bite site; later, nerves, joints, and the heart can be affected by the bacteria. To protect yourself, a tick should be removed promptly after a bite, as it takes several hours for the Lyme disease pathogens to be transmitted to humans.

Ticks can also transmit tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) . This can be protected with a vaccination. This is recommended for people who live in or travel to a TBE risk area, or who frequently spend time outdoors for work.

The most common symptom of TBE is meningitis. Fever, headache, vomiting, and even intestinal problems may indicate an infection.

As a result of global warming, new tick species are also entering Germany. One example is the German variegated tick, which, according to the Bavarian State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL), has spread throughout the country in recent decades but is still relatively rare. These ticks can transmit the bacteria Francisella tularensis and Rickettsia, which can cause diseases such as rabbit fever and spotted fever.

According to the LGL, Hyalomma ticks have also been found in Germany for several years. These ticks are native to Asia, Africa, and Southern Europe and travel to Germany on migratory birds. "These are isolated findings. So far, no stable populations are known throughout Germany," explained Gerhard Dobler of the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology in Munich.

Nevertheless, experts are closely monitoring the possible spread of Hyalomma ticks because they can transmit Crimean-Congo fever (CCHF) – a viral infection that can be fatal.

"So far, however, this virus has not been detected in any of the Hyalomma ticks found and examined in Germany," Dobler emphasized. The situation is different in Italy. Ticks can also transmit a form of typhus. This was confirmed in a person in Germany after a Hyalomma tick bite.