Ticks in Latvia

When is the tick season?The tick season lasts from approximately March until November, with peak activity occurring in the spring and summer months. In some locations, 2 peak periods have been observed, with maximal activity in May/June and again in September/October.

Where do ticks hide? Although many still believe that ticks fall from trees, they actually live in the soil and don't climb much higher than 20 to 70 centimeters onto grasses and bushes in their search for a blood host (people or animals). Therefore, ticks generally get picked up off of vegetation when passing through grasses or by bushes along forest paths or when walking on lawns and in the garden. Ticks have temperature-geared olfactory senses that detect “prey.” Many infected people cannot remember ever being bitten because of the small size of the ticks.

Ixodes“a tick”

What do ticks look like?

Underside of ticks

Safely removing ticks

1. Don’t Panic2. Gather what you need first:

a) Needle nose tweezersb) Antiseptic swab c) Small container for the tick

3. Using the needle nose tweezers, grasp the head as close to the entry point on your body as possible. DO NOT grab the body as it will push the fluids back into you.

4. Clean the area with the antiseptic swab.

This map shows the current endemic areas in Europe

In Latvia, the highest Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV) prevalence in field-collected ticks was observed in 1995 (28.4%), 1996 (10.8%) and 2002 (9.2%).

Tests on ticks engorged with human blood, brought to the vaccination service by members of the public, started in 1998. The TBEV prevalence rate of these ticks was found to be much higher, about 30%.

Ref: http://www.eurosurveillance.org Eurosurveillance [ISSN] - ©2007-2011

Tick Borne Encephalitis Virus (TBEV)

First Phase - 7 to 14 days after the tick bite:• General symptoms such as temperature increase (usually under 39 °C),

headaches, overall weakness, fatigue, intestinal problems, cough and sniffles.• After a symptom-free interval of between 2 and up to a maximum of 8 days,

symptoms indicating the infection of the nervous system appear.

Second Phase - 2-4 weeks from date of bite:• Another temperature increase (usually over 39 °C) with additional symptoms

including aggravated headaches, neck stiffness, impaired consciousness, delirium, cranial nerve paralysis, coordination problems, and paralysis of the arms and legs. Ultimately, paralysis of the respiratory musculature can occur.

TBE (Tick-Borne Encephalitis) is a viral disease transmitted by ticks. The virus attacks the nervous system and can result in long-term neurological symptoms and even death. TBE can cause both mild and severe illnesses, with permanent consequences such as disorders of the automatic nervous system, concentration problems, paralysis and depression. Approximately 2% of cases are fatal.

If you have removed ticks from your body, you need to be aware of TBE

• Check for ticks often: at every clothing change, shower and before you climb into your bed.

• Use the buddy system for backs, neck and legs• If you find a tick, DON’T brush it off or pull it out with

your fingers!• Use needle nose tweezers if possible to remove the

tick STRAIGHT UP and by its nose/head.• Report ALL tick bites to your supervisor.• Be aware of signs (what you see: redness, sweating)

and symptoms (what you feel: feverish, fatigue) and watch your buddy for these signs too!