In 2022, a third fewer tick bites were reported than in previous years. To be able to better explain these kinds of differences, researchers from WUR and RIVM have started a major study viatekenradar.nl. This gives them more insight into the 1.5 million tick bites that occur in the Netherlands every year.
Most tick bites in Gelderland
In 2022, the number of bites was below the average in recent years in all provinces of the Netherlands, except in Flevoland. Fewer tick bites were also reported in Belgium. In the Netherlands, most reports came from Gelderland, just like in 2021. 887 reports came from this province. North Brabant and North Holland take second and third place with 554 reports and 490 reports.
Number of tick bites in relation to population size
The number of reported tick bites is highest in relation to the population size in Drenthe (75/100,000 inhabitants), followed by Gelderland (43/100,000) and Flevoland (42/100,000). South Holland is in last place with 13 tick bites per 100,000 inhabitants.
Where do ticks occur?
Ticks can be found throughout the country, in forests, parks, heaths, dunes or in the garden. They are mainly found near trees or shrubs in tall grass or between dead leaves. Ticks can bite into people’s skin. A tick bite can make you sick. In the Netherlands, ticks can transmit Lyme disease and, in rare cases, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).
Checking is important
Check your body and clothing for ticks and your skin for tick bites if you have been outdoors. Ticks can attach themselves anywhere, but prefer the groin, back of the knees, armpits, buttocks, edges of underwear, behind the ears and around the hairline in the neck. Do you have a tick bite? Remove the tick quickly. The longer the tick is in your skin, the more likely it is to transmit pathogens.
To the doctor?
Go to the doctor if you have one of the following complaints after a tick bite:
- A discoloration of the skin at the site of the tick bite, which increases in size. This can appear up to three months after a tick bite.
- Fever and possibly muscle and joint pain, in the first weeks after a tick bite.
- Sometimes joint complaints, skin complaints, nerve complaints or heart complaints can arise. This can happen if the early symptoms of Lyme disease are not treated with antibiotics. But these complaints are sometimes also a first manifestation of the disease.
There are 1.5 million annually #tick bites in the Netherlands. Together with the @WUR are we one #research started with a fixed group of detectors. You can report tick bites even if you do not participate in the study. That #the message provide many new insights.
— RIVM (@rivm) April 20, 2023
2023-04-23 18:17:28
#reports #tick #bites #stay #alert
