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Spring begins – and with it tick season.

On the road with researchers from the University of Leipzig.

Equipped with rubber boots and white flags, the women hunt for the small bloodsuckers, which can also be dangerous to humans

“Ha, I have one.”

Tick ​​activity is highest in spring and fall, but due to climate change, the parasites are now active almost year-round.

The researchers expect an increase again this year.

If you want to stay tick-free after your spring walk, you should follow a few rules:

Lara Maas, doctoral student at the University of Leipzig:

»You should definitely wear appropriate clothing.

So closed shoes, ideally light-colored clothing so that ticks can be found immediately when you have picked one up and also spray repellents on exposed skin, i.e. anti-tick spray, insect spray and also pay attention to how effective it is and how long it lasts, when it needs to be refreshed again.

The arachnids do not fall from trees, as was once assumed.

They don't jump either.

Rather, they sit on blades of grass or in bushes at a height of less than one meter and then cling to people or animals.

When bitten, ticks can transmit numerous pathogens, such as Lyme disease or tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

After a walk in the forest, it is therefore important to examine your body, advises Lara Maas:

Lara Maas, doctoral student at the University of Leipzig:

»Because ticks consciously visit areas in the body that are not easily seen, such as the back of the knee or the groin behind the ears.

The scalps are determined not to be found quickly so that they can finish their blood meal as effectively as possible.

If you have found a tick on your body, you should remove it as quickly as possible with tweezers or a tick card, e.g.

B. remove from the pharmacy close to the skin.

You should go to the doctor if flu-like symptoms or a large-scale skin reaction occur.

You should also be careful of newly immigrated Hyalomma giant ticks.

They can transmit Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever viruses.

With the right clothing and effective spray, nothing stands in the way of a walk in nature.