Tick-borne Encephalitis

12 comments

1. you can get vaccine for that.

   but it really depends., on what you visiting. if cities only, no need to worry about. their common in forests/fields. sometimes my dog catches them in my backyard.

   got one on my hand like month ago, just by slapping my dogs back. saved her from one. 😀 and not like all of them got disseases.

2. You can get vaccinated against it, but you need few shots over course of several months so you need to plan accordingly.

   https://www.cdc.gov/tick-borne-encephalitis/vaccine/index.html

3. Are most people in Latvia vaccinated for TBE? Is it just one of the many things you’re vaccinated for when you’re young?

4. I don’t know how common it is in ticks, I don’t think that every tick is infected with encephalitis, in my 20-something years long life, with all the outdoor activities, I have never been bitten by a tick. ~~But usually people get vaccinated against encephalitis in the spring, I always mean to do it but forget when the time comes :(~~

   But there are things I do when I am in the forest:
   1) Use the tick and mosquito spray that is available in any store.
   2) cover hair with a hat or a scarf (usually for girls)
   3) don’t leave parts of your skin exposed, wear long paints and socks, if you wear rain? boots it will also protect if you accidentally step on a snake. If it is hot I wear gym shoes and a t-shirt.

   Ticks mostly live in wild fields and tall grass so if you are using some walking trails chances of catching a tick are lower. Also, People usually say that encephalitis isn’t as bad as Lyme disease.

   If you get bitten you can give the tick to a laboratory and for 10 euros they will scan it for diseases.

5. Yea. If you have pet Dog/cat who live outdoors, then there will be 100% chance you will found some tick. You can get vaccine for your children from 1 year old .

6. What do you mean by exploring country side? Are you planning on going on hikes and sleeping in a tent? Do you expect to walk through meadows or long grass? Then there is a high risk of a tick bite. Are you planning on visiting small towns and renting a cabin with a nice lawn? Use repellents and you should be fine.

7. Latvian ticks are no joke. Some very strong deet spray reaplied regularly should be good but also be smart layering your clothes etc..

8. I have a coworker who got Lyme disease from a tick when she was young. Over here no doctor will admit you have lyme disease even if your test results are positive ( I know it sounds weird, but that’s been the experience of my coworker, she’s been living with it for 40 years with al lthat comes with it). In fact, ticks are the most popular way in the world to get Lyme disease, so it is odd you haven’t heard of it.

   Yes, you can get shots but it isn’t a 100% guarantee. But it is the best thing you can do to protect yourself.

   Another thing peopel here do is wear light coloured clothes to the forest or if they go in tall grass ( ticks are black so that way you can easily see it) and ticks mostly stick in your scalp and armpits, so check those areas. Wear thin long sleeve shirt and long pants, tuck the pants in your socks, and wear wellies. That’s the best advice I can offer. Oh, and NEVER remove a tick yourself unless you have experience ( which you do not have judging by the question). You go to the ER to get it removed and there they will test it for everything it needs to be tested for.

   Yes, you get 3 doses of vaccines ( 2 of them are 2 weeks apart, the 3rd is about a month later if I remember correctly). You have to redo them every 5 years in adults, 3 in children. Your re-vaccination shot is only 1. If you miss your vaccination wondow ( e.g. remember you need to get the vaccine only after 6 years) you have to do the 3 vaccine course all over again.

9. Ticks are everywhere in the countryside. Yes, anyone who is spending time outdoors is vaccinated against TBE. Recurrent vaccines every 3 years. There are no vaccines against Lyme. We also give our cat and dog medication to kill ticks that bite them (drops, collars are also available). I count at least 15 ticks on my dog EVERY time I walk her on our daily walks on the nature trail near our house. Animals bring them into the house.
   In short, get the vaccine. Be vigilant about checking yourself after being outdoors. Ticks can be tiny. They like dark, juicy places.

10. Ticks seem to love some people and not care for others that much. I haven’t been bitten yet (that I know of) even tho grew up in the country side (watch me jinx it and Get bitten this summer). A friend of mine was bitten 14 times in one single season.
    Ticks also prefer some environments over others. There are also regions in Latvia that have a higher density of infected ticks over other areas (I believe Kurzeme was more dangerous but that’s just hearsay and it might have been about Lyme disease, my memory is bad).

    Encephalitis isn’t the only disease ticks carry. Erlichiosis is another one with a similar onset and a supposed 1% death rate, it’s kinda fever like but can be treated with antibiotics.
    I believe you need at least 3 shots to be fully safe, 1st, then 2nd a month later and then the 3rd a year after that. But 2 shots could give you some protection already. but yeah there are preventative measures besides the vaccine that have already been mentioned.

11. Overall yes, TBE is very much a thing here, and a lot of people do get vaccinated against it, however, a lot also don’t and just take precautions like wearing clothing that covers the entire body, tall boots, hats and general vigilance. It’s also normal practice to immediately remove your clothes after going to the forest and just leave them outside to air for a couple days so if there’s a tick it’d be gone by then.

    That being said, both ticks I’ve caught in my lifetime were in Riga lol. While you can take them to get tested for TBE after it’s removed, I find it useless, the tick having TBE does not 100% mean you’ll get it and if it is, there’s no way to prevent it post-infection anyway. There used to be the option to get immunoglobulin serum after exposure, but that’s not being done for years now.

    Just, uh, don’t go into the forest wearing shorts and be extra careful when you go peeing in the bushes, especially if you have to squat to do that.

12. I just got bitten last week. Pulled it out by myself because because I still had 2 more days of sleeping in a tent. Afterwards jokingly asked my doctor friend if I’ll die – she said yes (I don’t know if she got the joking part).