If the fall and winter are mild, the tick's chance of survival increases. During the dark months of the year, they hibernate underground and crawl out when the temperature reaches five to ten degrees.
But summer weather, the period when ticks are active, also affects their survival.
– If there is a very severe drought, many ticks die. If it's windy and rainy, he doesn't want to sit and wait for someone to arrive, says Johan Sanmartin Berglund, a professor at Blekinge University of Technology who researches Lyme disease.
So, right is best, for both humans and ticks.
Diseases are increasing slowly
As winter moderated, there was a slow increase in the number of people developing TBE in Blekinge. The risk period for infection has become longer.
Already this year, there have been 20 reports of ticks being discovered in Blekinge Norwegian Veterinary Medical Institutethe first already in February.
But Johan Sanmartin Berglund doesn't think you should worry about getting out in nature.
– One in 200 people gets Lyme disease, and in the country we have between 15,000 and 20,000 people who get Lyme disease every year. The number of TBE has increased somewhat, with about 500-600 people a year in Sweden, he says and continues:
– But if you are vaccinated and dressed properly, there is no risk in being in nature.
In the clip below, you get three tips on how to protect yourself.
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