Public health advice on ticks and tick-borne diseases

Ticks can transmit diseases that may result in serious short- and long-term illness or even death. In the WHO European Region, diseases include Lyme disease or borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), tularemia and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

Ticks are mostly active from April to October across the Region when the weather warms up but can be found all year-round in parks, yards or gardens, woodlands, meadows, forests and grassy or bushy areas.

Be mindful when spending time outdoors.

• Avoid walking in high grass and bushy areas – stick to clear trails.

• When spending time in green areas:
  •  wear long sleeves and long trousers to protect your body;
  •  tuck your trousers into your socks;
  •  choose light-coloured clothing to spot ticks more easily; and
  •  apply approved insect repellent on exposed skin and clothes: Adults should apply repellent to children.
•  After outdoor activities, check yourself, your children and pets for ticks. Always inspect the entire body. If you find   ticks, remove them safely according to the advice below.

• If you work outdoors (e.g. farming), seek additional protective guidance (e.g. wear gloves or protective clothing while handling animals, and check yourself regularly for ticks).
• Reach out to your health-care provider for advice on vaccination against TBE.

Reduce the risk – remove the tick as quickly as possible.

To remove a tick safely, follow these steps.

• Use fine-tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
• Gently pull straight up to remove the entire tick – no twisting or jerking – to avoid leaving parts in the skin.
• Wash your hands and the bite area with soap and water.
• Apply an antiseptic to the bite.
• If you find one tick, there may be others. Do a careful tick check on your entire body to look for other ticks and remove them promptly.

Do not:

• crush the tick with your fingers
• try to smother it with petroleum jelly, nail polish or grease
• burn the tick.
  

If the tick’s mouthparts break off and stay in the skin, they may cause irritation. However, they should fall out naturally in time, pushed out by your body.

Many tick-borne diseases have symptoms that include fever, headache, extreme tiredness, muscle ache and pain, swollen lymph nodes and rash. Symptoms will depend on the disease and can change throughout its progression. If you feel unwell, seek medical advice from your health-care provider, and keep a record of any symptoms and when the symptoms began. Also, prevent future bites – take preventive measures to avoid tick bites.

A vaccine to prevent TBE is available, and new vaccines against Lyme disease are in development.  Reach out to your health-care provider for advice on vaccination, especially if you live in or will travel to areas where TBE occurs.