;Resize=(1200,627)&impolicy=perceptual&quality=mediumHigh&hash=a6ff56228633edd33c3fd3c0630dc5874a501146e88a321eb70eaae43a74dff6 "Lyme disease cases in Germany – the risk of infection is highest here")
In the video above: Lyme disease? You should watch out for these symptoms
The risk of contracting Lyme disease (borreliosis) varies greatly within Germany. This is shown by an evaluation by the Central Institute for Statutory Health Insurance Physician Care (Zi) on Friday. Accordingly, the number of cases varies between 121 in Berlin and 370 per 100,000 insured persons in Saxony.
High Lyme disease incidence in East Germany and Bavaria
The highest values were recorded in all eastern German federal states, namely Saxony (370), Thuringia (306), Brandenburg (268), Saxony-Anhalt (256) and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (240), as well as in Bavaria (275).
“Although the factors influencing Lyme disease incidence are complex, it is observed that climatic conditions such as milder winters and warmer, wetter spring to autumn periods can lead to an increase in the incidence of infection and disease in certain small-scale regions,” said Zi CEO Dominik von Stillfried.
Overall, however, a decrease in Lyme disease cases of 8 percent
A total of 135,440 people with statutory health insurance in Germany were diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2022. This means that the number has fallen by eight percent compared to the previous year. According to the evaluation, the corresponding values fell in all regions of the associations of statutory health insurance physicians – albeit to different extents.
The Zi found the strongest declines in the three eastern German states of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (-19 percent), Thuringia (-17 percent) and Saxony-Anhalt (-15 percent).
Important: Only those with statutory health insurance are taken into account in the Zi evaluation. The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) writes, citing a study, that an estimated 214,000 patients are billed for Lyme disease each year. That would be almost 80,000 more patients.
Lyme disease – how the disease is transmitted
Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne infectious disease in Europe. It is caused by an infection with bacteria of the species Borrelia burgdorferi (Borrelia). According to the Federal Center for Health Education, around 30 percent of wood ticks (the most common type of tick in Germany) are carriers. Borrelia are found in the midgut of wood billy goats.
That is why it takes several hours before they can get into the human organism after a sting. If a tick is discovered on the skin and removed quite quickly, there is less of a danger.
When infected, only 0.3 to 1.4 percent of people actually get sick
If there is an infection in humans, this is often reflected in an itchy redness around the puncture site. But not everyone who comes into contact with Borrelia through a tick bite actually becomes ill. Often the body can keep the bacteria in check. According to RKI calculations, 0.3 to 1.4 percent of people who are bitten by a tick become really ill.
However, if an infection remains undetected for a long time, it can lead to complicated courses in individual cases, which necessitate complex treatments. In the early stages, an antibiotic usually helps.
5 tips to avoid tick bites
If you go for a walk in the forest or on fields and meadows, you should still note the following tips:
Be careful not to come into direct contact with the plants, especially in transition zones from meadows to forests. The ticks sit on the leaves at a height of about half a meter, a maximum of one meter, waiting to be wiped off. Wear long, light colored trousers and tuck the pant legs into the socks. Not only do you prevent the animals from coming into direct contact with your skin, but you also see when a tick is crawling on you. Impregnate your clothing if you spend more time in nature. After spending time in nature, do your research. Animals often crawl around on the skin for hours. They particularly like to stay in damp places, for example in the hollows of the knees, the groin region or the armpits. In children, the head can also be affected. If you find a tick, remove it immediately. The longer the animal suckles, the more viruses it can release into the body. You can use tick tweezers or tweezers to do this.
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