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Tick-borne encephalitis is a treacherous disease. Pay attention to the warning signs of this illness
Tick season is in full swing again. These little parasites are carriers of some serious diseases. Unfortunately also tick-borne encephalitis, which can have fatal consequences for human health. By which symptoms can you recognize this disease and how can you best protect yourself against it?
In which cases does tick-borne encephalitis occur?
Tick-borne encephalitis is an infectious viral disease that attacks the nervous system. Its vector is an infected tick. You can become infected with this insidious disease not only after a tick bite. Tick-borne encephalitis can spread to you even if you pull a tick off your dog or cat. In rare cases, tick-borne encephalitis also occurs as a result of drinking fresh milk or consuming unpasteurized dairy products from infected cows, sheep, or goats.
Remove ticks as soon as possible
After returning from the outdoors or the garden it is important to have a full inspection. Why is this important? If a tick has attached to any part of your body, remove it as soon as possible. Tick-borne encephalitis is easily transmitted as early as two hours after an infected tick bites.
How to detect tick-borne encephalitis at the beginning? Pay attention to the symptoms
Did you find a tick on yourself? Keep an eye on the bite site. Even in the first phase, tick-borne encephalitis presents like a common flu. You may have more than just a fever. Another symptom of tick-borne encephalitis in the first phase is headache, muscle and joint pain, general fatigue, as well as a sore throat or nausea.
Why is it good to detect tick-borne encephalitis in the first phase? During the second phase, which manifests with severe headaches, fever, nausea, vomiting, shaking, seizures, or double or blurred vision, brain damage occurs. Tick-borne encephalitis specifically involves inflammation of the brain or cerebellum.
The third stage of tick-borne encephalitis means permanent consequences
If tick-borne encephalitis develops to the third stage in an infected person, it has permanent consequences. This can be paralysis of the facial muscles, paralysis of the arms, tremor, or imbalance. People whose tick-borne encephalitis has reached the third stage also experience very serious psychological consequences. They suffer from mood swings and depression, long-term headaches, dizziness, are unable to concentrate, and also have sleep problems.
Vaccination as an important prevention against tick-borne encephalitis
What is the best prevention against tick-borne encephalitis? Vaccination. Although the disease can be detected in early stages, its treatment is a long haul. Routine treatment lasts several months and monitoring up to several years.
