Good to know about Tick Encephalitis
Knowledge about KZM is insufficient. Despite the fact that the knowledge about TBE is systematically growing from year to year, it is still insufficient.According to the latest research conducted as part of the social campaign "Don't play with the tick", Lyme disease and Tick-borne Encephalitis are the most frequently indicated diseases caused by a tick bite , however, still every third person (35%) has never heard of KZM.
The mere knowledge about TBE is also insufficient, although 2/3 of respondents know that it can be protected against it thanks to preventive vaccination, but every third mistakenly claims that it can be protected against it using antibiotic therapy, and what 8. Believes that there is no way to protect yourself from KZM.
The number of those infected has increased in recent years. An alarming increase in the number of ticks is observed, and thus an increase in the incidence of dangerous tick-borne diseases. The virus is spreading throughout Europe, even in countries that previously considered themselves completely free of TBE. The percentage of people infected with TBE is also growing in Poland.In 2022-2023, the disease was recorded in 12 provinces, the largest number in the southern and north-eastern part of the country.
Global warming is contributing to the expansion of ticks to areas that were not previously considered endemic areas of the disease.People who spend their time actively outdoors, such as runners, cyclists, gardeners and mushroom pickers, are also at risk of TBE.
How do you get infected with TBE
Tick-borne encephalitis can be caused primarily by the bite of an infected tick, but also by eating raw milk or dairy products based on unpasteurized milk from infected animals.Infection with the virus can lead to meningitis, encephalitis, and / or myelitis.Up to 58% of patients suffering from TBE may be associated with complications. They concern the form of the virus with encephalomyelitis. The most commonly observed complications are neurological defect symptoms, paralysis and paresis of cranial and peripheral nerves.
Muscle atrophy of the shoulder girdle and damage to the cerebellum are particularly common. It is also not uncommon to observe complications related to the mental sphere, such as: disturbances in the content of thinking, mood, memory and attention. Among the persistent subjective symptoms reported by patients, headaches, increased fatigue, and sleep disturbances dominate.Modern medicine has not yet found a cure for TBE, and the treatment is only symptomatic.
The incidence of TBE is greatly underestimated. The fight against the TBE virus is not facilitated by underestimating the number of actually infected people. As is clear from numerous studies conducted, inter alia, by NIPH-PZH and the Medical University of Białystok, cases reported by doctors account for only a small proportion of people who experience TBE after contact with infected ticks. The latest research conducted by the NIPH-NIH has shown that in most regions in Poland, doctors do not confirm the cause of meningitis due to the cost of serological tests and the need to send samples to only three laboratories in Poland.
March 30 National KZM Awareness Day
In response to this growing he alth problem, on the initiative of patient organizations, research centers and institutions dealing with public he alth, a declaration was signed to establish the National KZM Awareness Day, which will be celebrated each year on March 30, in the month when ticks begin to feed, that is from March to November.
The National Day of Tick-borne Encephalitis Awareness is the culmination of the next edition of the campaign “Don't play with ticks. Win with tick-borne encephalitis.As part of the campaign, educational and information activities on the virus and prevention options will be carried out in medicine and addressed directly to the inhabitants of selected cities.
There is also an educational website www.kleszczinfo.pl, where you can find a compendium of knowledge about ticks and the risks associated with them, advice on how to deal with arachnids and useful information for people who lead an active lifestyle in green areas or going to areas at risk of contact with a tick.The campaign is organized by the Institute of Patient Rights and He alth Education, the Foundation "To Live and to Pfizer". Medicover is the supporting partner. The honorary patron of the campaign is the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate.
