Reader’s question If you go into nature on holiday at home or abroad, do inquire about the risks of a certain area. Ticks, for example, can not only transmit Lyme disease, but also cause meningitis, warns pharmacist Sander van den Bogert.
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Sander van den Bogert: “Tick-borne encephalitis is meningitis that you can contract through a bite from a tick that is infected with the TBE virus. An infected tick can quickly transmit this tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBE). A difference with Lyme disease is that tick encephalitis cannot be prevented by removing ticks at night.
Tick-borne encephalitis is a serious disease that can put you in hospital for a long time. Some people have neurological sequelae. In a few cases you can die from it. That only happens to 1 to 2 percent of people who are bitten by such an infected tick.
For the Netherlands, the risk is low. The tick has been reported in specific areas such as the Sallandse Heuvelrug
The TBE virus occurs in large parts of Europe and Asia. The GGD has been tracking the infections in the Netherlands since 2016. Between 2016 and 2022, a total of sixteen cases of tick-borne encephalitis are known. The risk is therefore low for the Netherlands. Most cases have been reported in specific areas such as the Sallandse Heuvelrug. On the website of the RIVM are the exact locations.
Vaccination provides protection of around 95 percent. A full vaccination consists of three vaccines within approximately six months. And to remain protected, a new vaccine must be periodically administered.
Vaccination must be prescribed by a doctor and is not covered by basic insurance. A full series of vaccinations costs around 150 euros. Side effects include fever, headache, fatigue, and pain at the injection site. Other precautions include using DEET, wearing covering clothing and not walking through tall grass or undergrowth.
In short, if you go to an area where the risk is high and you go out into nature a lot, vaccination may be advisable. This advice also applies abroad. If you plan to spend hours in nature every day, get information about the risk for that area.
Do you also have a question for our experts? Mail to zo@dpgmedia.nl
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2023-07-01 12:15:21
#vaccinated #tickborne #encephalitis #holidays
