Tick bites and other insect bites

Lyme disease, Central European encephalitis (TBE) and Rickettsia are transmitted by tick bites.

If you are in areas with ticks, you should check your skin for them daily. Ticks like to attach themselves to warm skin areas (e.g. armpits and groin).

You should remove the tick from the body as soon as possible and preferably without manipulating it too much to reduce the risk of its tissue fluids draining into the wound. You may want to bring tick forceps with you on your trip.

The skin area where the tick has been attached should be observed for redness and ulceration, and you should contact a doctor if this occurs. Redness that occurs at the bite site within the first few days after the bite is due to a local reaction and does not indicate that you have been infected with Lyme disease. Read about the TBE vaccine.