Tick ​​season: How to protect yourself

It's now almost tick season, so the vaccination bus is coming to Flemingsburg. The bus arrives at the Ika Maxi parking lot today, Thursday, from 12 to 7 p.m., and is designated for those who want to get vaccinated.

In the Stockholm area, ticks carry the TBE virus, which causes encephalitis in an infected person. Through vaccines, it can be prevented or the risk of infection can be greatly reduced.

Tips to protect yourself from ticks:

• Long, shiny pants when moving through woods or meadows make it easier to see ticks on your clothes
• The pants were tucked into socks
• Light long-sleeved shirt
• Use shoes
• Perform regular, thorough checks after staying in the woods and the ground
• Perform thorough examinations of your pets, especially if they are in bed or on the couch
• Last but not least; Tip on TikTok about putting silver tape on the inside and outside just below the knee to prevent ticks from crawling up

If you find a tick sticking to itself, you should remove it as soon as possible, preferably immediately. This is easily done using a tick remover. The longer the tick stays, the greater the risk of infection. Especially if the tick has been sitting around for more than a day. Over the next few weeks, you should keep an eye on where the tick has been sitting. If a red ring appears around the site of the bite, you should seek medical attention as it may be a sign of Lyme disease. If you feel symptoms of a cold, fever or fatigue, it is a good idea to contact the health center. These symptoms can come several months after the bite.

Symptoms of a TBE infection usually appear within ten days, but it may take up to a month before you notice anything. Most people who develop TBE don't notice anything in particular, but some experience two stages, the first characterized by fever and muscle pain. Those infected with the second stage suffer from high temperature, severe headache, and neurological problems such as confusion and paralysis. Nearly a third of those who develop the disease develop permanent problems with, among others, fatigue and memory disorders.

Here you can read more about frequently asked questions about TBE