News: It's not just the bike season that starts in spring. Ticks also open their personal season with the first warm rays of sunshine. If tick experts like Prof. Dr. re. of course Franz Rubel could be a record year for the little pests this year.
Mountain bikers are particularly affected. After all, you are permanently on the road in their territory with the MTB. What is behind the record year? Where is the risk particularly high? And how can mountain bikers protect themselves from diseases such as Lyme disease and TBE?
Possible danger from Lyme disease and TBE
Ticks are considered carriers of numerous diseases. Anyone who is out and about with the mountain bike in the bushes and rides through high grass can easily catch an arachnid or two. A good one in five ticks is infected with Borrelia. A bacterium that can cause Lyme disease in humans.
Even if this is easily treatable with antibiotics, the disease can still take a severe course. Even more dangerous is tick-borne encephalitis (FSME), which fortunately can be transmitted by significantly fewer ticks. TBE is a disease of the meninges and central nervous system.
It cannot be treated with medication and can cause permanent damage. The risk of infection is particularly high in the TBE risk areas defined by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). There are currently 164 urban and rural districts, mainly in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, southern Hesse and parts of Saxony and Thuringia.
Experts predict more TBE cases in 2020
Due to the beech fattening of two years ago, experts expect significantly more TBE cases this year. After the number of cases fell to 2018 last year after the record year 583 (444), the 2020 case mark could fall in 600. Anyone who spends a lot of time on their mountain bikes should therefore consider tick protection. This is not only because of TBE and in the designated TBE risk areas of the RKI, but everywhere in Germany.
How can mountain bikers protect themselves from ticks?
Anyone who thinks about the danger of ticks in advance has a significantly lower risk of catching something afterwards.
- Since ticks mainly lurk in undergrowth, bushes and dense undergrowth from 80-150 cm high, you should not take your bike on unnecessary trips away from the trails.
- When mountain biking in the forest and in areas with high vegetation, always wear long (thin) cycling trousers and stuff them into cycling socks.
- Bright bike kits will help you better spot the little arachnids on clothing before they have a chance to find a place to bite.
- Tick repellent sprays offer additional protection. However, these are not suitable for the head, since the funds could get into the eyes together with the sweat.
- The best protection against TBE is vaccination. Such a vaccination is recommended for mountain bikers who live in a risk area or stay there for a longer period of time.
- Use short breaks during your rides to do a quick body check for ticks.
- If you do get a tick, you should remove it as soon as possible. The longer a tick can suckle, the higher the risk of infection with Lyme disease, for example.
- A tick tweezer or tick card belongs in the saddle bag on every trip in the forest.
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