alverde Juli 2021 issue
They lurk unnoticed in the green, on bushes, by the wayside: ticks. The arachnids wait there for their victims. It’s good to protect yourself from them. Because the tiny creatures are “superspreaders” and can transmit pathogens.
They like meadows very much: Ticks feel particularly at home in damp grass. They benefit from climate change and mild winters, so that even species from the tropics feel at home here. “We have the first cases of ticks in January, the last ones in November,” says doctor Dr Sigrid Blehle, who specialises in tick-borne diseases. The most common tick here is the common wood tick. This tick species is the main risk for infection with bacteria such as Borrelia.
They hide in green spaces, on bushes, by the wayside: ticks.
The arachnids wait there for their victims. It’s good to protect yourself against them. Because the tiny creatures are “superspreaders” and can transmit pathogens.
Ticks need three blood meals in their life.
You may very well know: Ticks feel particularly at home in damp grass. They benefit from climate change and mild winters, so that even species from the tropics feel at home here. “We have the first cases of ticks as early as January, the last as late as November,” says doctor Dr Sigrid Blehle, who specialises in tick-borne diseases. The most common tick here is the common wood tick. This type of tick carries the main risk of infection with bacteria such as Borrelia.
BORRELIOSIS. WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY?
When ticks suck on wild animals infected with Borrelia, such as mice, they ingest the pathogens. In about 30 percent of ticks, the spiral-shaped bacteria are found in the saliva. If they then suck on humans, the germs enter the blood and spread throughout the entire body. “Half of the patients suffer from migratory rash, in which a very or less circular reddening of the skin spreads around the site of the bite,” explains Dr. Sigrid Blehle. “It is a sure sign of infection”. You should also be alert for summer flu after a tick bite. “In general, frequent complaints are muscle and joint inflammation, paralysis, but also palpitations, concentration problems, sudden memory lapses, and difficulty falling asleep. Burn-out or depression can occur”. Dr. Sigrid Blehle says. Because the symptoms are unspecific and often only appear months or years later, Lyme disease is rarely recognised. The figures on the frequency of the disease therefore fluctuate: from 34,000 new infections annually to an estimated number of up to 700,000.
FIND THE CAUSE. MAKE THE DIAGNOSIS.
Most of the time, the affected person has other viruses and bacteria in their body, so the question is what triggers the symptoms. Blood tests that detect the pathogen or antibodies against it provide information. “But not everyone has antibodies, such as people with a weak immune system,” explains laboratory specialist Dr Armin Schwarzbach. “Many of the Lyme disease immuno-tests can therefore be false negatives.” And many tests are not standardised. The physician considers the measurement of certain inflammatory messengers such as interferon-gamma, which immune cells release during an infection, to be suitable as evidence. What should be examined in each individual case depends on how long ago the tick bite occurred and what symptoms the patient is experiencing.
TREAT. WHAT DOES THE DOCTOR DO?
In general, infections weaken the immune system in the long term. That is why early therapy against the pathogens is important – but chronic infections can also be treated. “On the one hand, we fight the Borrelia infection with antibiotics, treat the symptoms and strengthen the immune system,” explains Dr. Sigrid Blehle. The only problem is: Borrelia bacteria “hide” in cells and tissues that are poorly supplied with blood (joints, tendons) – this protects them from the effect of the antibiotics. “That’s why we combine antibiotics with herbal substances, for example from the mugwort Artemisia annua. This way we achieve a better effect and need fewer antibiotics,” explains Dr Sigrid Blehle. In the case of long-term, chronic Lyme disease, the focus is on becoming more vital, for example with targeted pain and physiotherapy as well as mental coaching.
The earlier Lyme disease is detected, the better. The earlier a tick is removed, the lower the probability of infection. The tick can be removed with a tick card (availabl e at dm) or curved tweezers. Disinfect the puncture zone! If you have the tick tested for pathogens by a laboratory, you will know whether an infection may have taken place.