Ticks in Poland. Tick-borne diseases

The spring aura brought by the previous weeks contributed to the increase in tick activity. During walks, it is easier to come across these small but dangerous arachnids. That is why tick-borne diseases, especially dangerous in the youngest, appeared very early this year.

Dr. Lidia Stopyra from the Department of Infectious Diseases and Paediatrics at the Stefan Żeromski Hospital in Krakow, this year cases of tick-borne diseases among children appeared exceptionally early. These are primarily neuroinfections, including tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease.

– The ward is full of children. The situation is borderline. We receive calls from other hospitals that they need to transfer a child to us. But they have to wait until we release someone and a place becomes available,” she explained.

When asked about the reasons for the increase in the number of diseases, she estimated that fewer people were tested before the pandemic. “The pandemic has increased awareness of the need for research. It has also increased the statistics of reporting infectious diseases. It has also improved diagnostics” – she said.

Some ticks carry dangerous diseases. The most common of them is Lyme disease, the acute form of which can end with meningitis. They can also transmit tick-borne encephalitis and, less commonly, babesiosis, which affects dogs as well as humans.

Joanna Zajkowska from the Department of Infectious Diseases and Neuroinfections of the Medical University of Bialystok reported that for several years there have been more and more infections and more severe cases.

– We record patients after infection with tick-borne encephalitis virus with paralysis, meningitis, respiratory disorders, requiring long-term rehabilitation, for whom it is practically impossible to return to full fitness – explained Zajkowska.