Risk of ticks transmitted diseases low in Finland

The risk of diseases transmitted by ticks varies by region in Finland, but it is mostly relatively low, said the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) on Thursday.

However, the diseases can be severe, so ticks understandably cause a lot of worry.

Finland’s nature is at its best in summer. Ticks become active early in spring and are active throughout the summer until late autumn.

The THL urged the people to protect themselves by wearing covering clothing: light-coloured clothes with long sleeves and legs and high-top shoes or pulling socks over your trouser legs.

When moving in a tick area, it is important to protect and prevent ticks from accessing skin.

A tick check after moving in nature is an effective way to prevent a Borrelia infection, as it takes at least one day for the bacteria causing the disease to transfer from the intestinal system of the tick to the human body.

Tick-borne encephalitis, that is, the TBE virus, is located in the mouth area of the tick and it takes just a few minutes for it to transmit to a human.

If the tick has already attached to the skin, people should remove it by grasping it as close to the skin as possible with a pair of sharp-tipped tweezers or your fingernails.

The tick is detached by steadily pulling it outward. People should disinfect the area of the bite with an antiseptic.

Tick-borne encephalitis can be prevented by vaccination.

Even though one vaccine dose already reduces the risk of severe disease, it is important to get the complete vaccine series.

In summer, it is a good idea to check vaccination information to see if it is time to take the next vaccine dose or booster vaccine.

It should be noted that the TBE vaccine marketed as a tick vaccine does not protect against the Lyme disease or prevent ticks from biting, but only protects against TBE, that is, tick-borne encephalitis.