The number of infected people is growing rapidly. A single sip is enough for a tragedy to occur.
According to sanitary-epidemiological data, the number of Lyme disease infections, transmitted by ticks, is growing significantly year over year. In 2022, there were 838 cases in Lower Silesia, 1,052 the following year, and 1,569 last year.
- Due to extensive and wide-ranging education, also among family doctors, people are more sensitive to looking for redness or a reaction that may appear after a tick bite - emphasizes Magdalena Mieszkowska from the Voivodeship Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Wrocław.
Lyme disease is a bacterial disease characterized by erythema migrans, which appears at the site of the bite. If left untreated, it can lead to serious complications, such as chronic fatigue, joint pain, and neurological disorders.
Tick-borne diseases, apart from Lyme disease, include:
- tularemia,
- human granulocytic anaplasmosis,
- spotted fever group,
- babesiosis,
- especially dangerous - tick-borne encephalitis.
The high incidence of tick-borne diseases is confirmed by Professor Leszek Szenborn from the Medical University of Wrocław and the Department of Pediatrics and Infectious Diseases of the University Clinical Hospital. He emphasizes that while Lyme disease may resolve spontaneously or be treatable, infection with tick-borne encephalitis virus can lead to serious complications. Importantly, this disease cannot be cured; it can only be prevented through vaccination.
"Once the disease develops, the body can only rely on itself. Complications can even lead to death," notes Professor Szenborn.
As of June 15, 151 such cases had been recorded across the country.
In Poland, the number of tick-borne encephalitis cases is estimated at 150 to over 250 per year. The highest incidence is observed in northeastern Poland (up to 80% of infections in a given year). Effective protection against infection requires three doses of primary vaccination, with booster doses every 3-5 years. Vaccination in winter or early spring provides protection from the onset of tick activity (April to October) .
Tick-borne encephalitis can be contracted not only through contact with ticks, but also by consuming unpasteurized milk from a goat or cow that is currently infected. Such cases are rare these days, but at the University Clinical Hospital in Wrocław, people have been hospitalized for this reason. For example, an infant and its mother became ill. They had previously consumed organic goat milk.
The places in Lower Silesia that are at the highest risk of developing tick-borne diseases are the Ślęża Massif and the Kłodzko Valley.
"There are more ticks. The mild winter certainly contributed to this. But according to our data, it's not a 100% increase year-on-year," notes Arkadiusz Fiślak from the Bystrzyca Kłodzka Forest District.
Foresters, people traveling outside the city, and even walkers and joggers in city parks are at risk of contact with ticks. Ticks are most common on forest floor and in grassy areas. Dogs also bring the arachnids home from walks.
Dr. Anna Wierzbicka from the Poznań University of Life Sciences argues that the risk of contact with ticks can be reduced.
"On a personal level, we can protect ourselves mechanically. Wearing closed shoes, long pants, tucking pants into socks. Most ticks land on the calves. They enter the body from below. It's important to check the body, armpits, and especially the groin daily—preferably after bathing," he emphasizes.
She emphasizes that it's best to act immediately and remove the arachnid from your skin as quickly as possible. Her observations indicate that more ticks appeared in June and July than in the same months in previous years. She believes this is related to global warming.
Copyrighted material - reprint rules are specified in the regulations .
rynekzdrowia
