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They support us
B. Robert Mozayeni, MD
Robert C Bransfield, MD, DLFAPA
Rosalie Greenberg, MD
Tanja Mijatovic, PhD
Leona Gilbert, PhD
TICK BITES
Wear clothing that covers your legs and arms,
Light-colored clothing makes it easier to spot ticks,
Spray tick spray on clothing, shoes and body parts that come into contact with grass and bushes,
Avoid contact with grass and bushes, walk on paths as wide as possible.
When you get home, check your body and clothing for ticks. Ticks like warm, moist areas with thin skin, such as the backs of the knees, groin, inner thighs, buttocks, neck, nape of the neck, and armpits.
1. Take a photo of the tick still in the skin for possible insurance claims. Use tick tweezers or tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin and gently twist while pulling. Then disinfect the area. Instructions are available on video . If the head remains in the skin, have it removed by a doctor as soon as possible.
2. Place the tick in a sealed, dated bag and freeze it. Send it to REDlabs for PCR testing (Borrelia, Bartonella, Babesia, etc.). It is recommended to test for all pathogens.3. Seek medical help promptly if flu-like symptoms, pain, or a migrans rash appear. If chronic symptoms occur weeks or months after the bite, consult a specialist. Dr. Horowitz's questionnaire can help assess the likelihood of infection. There are many resources available on this site about Lyme borreliosis , bartonellosis , and babesiosis .
A study has shown that up to 83% of ticks in Switzerland carry at least one infectious pathogen (bacteria or virus) [ 1 ]. Some infections can be serious (even fatal) and become chronic. It is important not to take a tick bite lightly.
If you experience symptoms after a tick bite (some may only appear years later!), there are many infections that need to be considered.The most common are:
But also:
1. Lyme borreliosis:
Currently, there is no vaccine against Lyme disease. The only available vaccine (LYMERix®) was withdrawn from the market in 2002 because it was deemed ineffective and therefore in low demand. A new vaccine, VLA15 , is currently being developed.
2. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE):
The Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recommends vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis for all adults and children (usually from the age of six) who live or are temporarily staying in risk areas . In Switzerland, all cantons are considered risk areas, with the exception of Ticino for the time being.
3. Other significant infections:
Currently, there is no vaccine against other common infections such as babesiosis, bartonellosis, rickettsiosis, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, tularemia, etc.
A tick bite is considered an accident and must be reported as such. Doctors and specialists are often unaware of it.
As the Suva website states:
“It is, in fact, a damaging, sudden and involuntary injury to the human body caused by an extraordinary external cause. An event of this kind, if it requires treatment, must therefore be reported to the victim's accident insurance as soon as possible.”
And if it wasn't just
Lyme disease?
Lyme borreliosis, also known as Lyme disease, is caused by a bacterium of the Borrelia genus. Transmitted by tick bites , it can cause a wide range of symptoms, and can be difficult to diagnose. It can be extremely debilitating and become chronic.
Furthermore, many chronically ill people also turn out to be carriers of the Babesia parasite and/or the Bartonella bacteria, which are sometimes confused with Lyme disease. These three infections, whether alone or in combination, can become persistent, and their management is often inadequate. This situation has been controversial for many years, despite an abundance of scientific literature on the subject.
The infections
Do you think you're infected ?
Developed by Dr. Richard Horowitz, this questionnaire was designed to assess the likelihood of a person having Lyme borreliosis or other tick-borne infections.
It consists of a series of questions covering physical, cognitive and psychological symptoms, as well as the risks of exposure to ticks.
