Lithuania currently has the highest rates of tick-borne encephalitis in Europe. Getting vaccinated can help protect against it. Milda Žigutienė, a specialist at the National Centre for Public Health (NVSC), spoke to LRT RADIO about the dangers presented by ticks.
What is the situation with the incidence rate of encephalitis?
Ticks are very active at the moment. If we are talking about the disease of tick-borne encephalitis, this year the situation is atypical, because in previous years we registered the first cases in April.
This season we have already registered two cases in February and one in March. This means that climate change is manifested in the activity of ticks and is reflected in the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis and other diseases.
Further reading
Now that we are already in contact with ticks, is it too late to get vaccinated?
The most suitable time for inoculation against tick-borne encephalitis is late autumn, winter, and early spring, but those who haven't managed to get vaccinated in time can do so [now].
The interval between the first and second doses should be one to three months. The immunity is already formed two weeks after the second shot.
But then, of course, a further vaccination schedule must be followed, and the subsequent dose is in a year, and then booster doses every three or five years, depending on age.
Ticks in our country usually breed in late winter, spring, summer, and autumn, so you have to take care of protection against them almost all year round. They can be found in tall grass and bushes, where it is warm and damp: near a pond, where the grass is not cut, or on the border between forests and meadows, where there is more grass and shade.
You can also find ticks in city centres, in places where the grass is tall – for example in Sereikiškės and Vingis parks in Vilnius.
Are there a lot of people willing to get vaccinated?
We are glad that vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis is not decreasing, but the specialists would like all citizens of Lithuania to get the jab, Lithuania has the highest incidence of the disease in Europe.
When in nature, it is advised to keep your trousers tucked into boots, a shirt should be tucked into trousers, the collar buttoned up tightly, and sleeves should fit tightly around the wrist.
You should also periodically inspect your clothing and remove ticks that have attached themselves. Do not rest on freshly cut branches, under old tree trunks, or in the grass. When returning from the forest, take off your outer clothing and inspect it without entering the room. Afterwards, check for ticks on the body.
You must not squeeze them with your fingers because touching the mucous membrane of your nose or eyes with your hands afterwards can lead to tick-borne encephalitis. If you find a tick that has attached itself to your body, contact a health centre immediately or within the first 24 hours.
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