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Munich (dpa / lby) - The number of tick-borne diseases in Bavaria rose to a record last year.

According to the State Office for Health and Food Safety (LGL), 280 cases of early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE) and 6259 cases of Lyme disease were reported to the authority in the past year - more than in all other years since mandatory reporting began 20 years ago.

A worrying trend is thus continuing: According to the LGL, TBE diseases have increased significantly since 2017, and 202 infections were registered in Bavaria in 2019.

The lowest value was reported in 2012 with 90 diseases in the Free State.

According to the LGL, the significant increase in 2020 is not only due to an increased number of ticks.

Many people would have spent more time in nature because of the corona lockdown in good weather, said a spokesman for the authority.

Accordingly, they were exposed to ticks more often.

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How the number of reported illnesses will develop in the current year in view of the ongoing corona restrictions cannot be predicted, said the LGL spokesman.

Apart from a few districts, TBE is widespread in southern Germany as far as Hesse, Thuringia and Saxony.

There is a vaccination against the disease, which can be accompanied by meningitis, but not against Lyme disease, which is widespread throughout Germany.

According to the Robert Koch Institute, those who want to be vaccinated against Corona and TBE in the current year should ensure a minimum interval of two weeks between the vaccination appointments.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210310-99-758219 / 2

LGL on tick diseases