Ticks | Four particularly busy tick areas have been observed in Helsinki: ticks are also found in well-maintained parks

In the heat can breathe a sigh of relief, as ticks do not like hot and dry weather.

The heat however, when it recedes and the humidity rises, the ticks start moving in droves. In southern Finland, ticks are most abundant in August–September.

Developed in cooperation between the University of Turku and the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer punk live collects up-to-date information on where ticks occur. People mark the sighting location, and the sightings are added to the map daily. Hundreds of tick sightings have already been reported in the Helsinki city area this year.

During the last month, the four most active tick areas have been observed in Helsinki: Paloheinä-Pakila-Maununmäki, Herttoniemi, Käpylä-Kumpula-Toukola and Pukinmäki and the southern part of Malmi.

Turku wood researcher at the university’s biodiversity unit Jani Sormunen has personally noticed a lot of ticks, especially in the Keskuspuisto area and Kumpula.

According to him, it is surprising that there have been no sightings from Seurasaari this year, despite the large number of visitors. Another surprising observation is that there seem to be ticks now also in well-maintained park areas, such as Kaivopuisto and Tähtitorninvuori.

Among the tick species, the tick and the taiga tick spread tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. Both diseases are becoming more common.

End of summer it’s also the “season time” for tick-borne encephalitis, or the TBE virus, says the docent of virology Anu Jääskeläinen From the hospital district of Helsinki and Uusimaa (Hus). Tetanus encephalitis is a disease caused by the TBE virus that can cause severe long-term neurological symptoms.

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“Even in July, people take vacations and go on trips and picking berries. Then there will be encounters with ticks,” says Jääskeläinen.

People’s activity affects the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis. According to Jääskeläinen, the diagnoses are “only the tip of the iceberg” of the naturally occurring tick-borne encephalitis virus.

Currently, 19 cases of tick-borne encephalitis have been detected in the Husi area, while 81 cases were diagnosed in the area last year. So the season is not yet detectable in THL’s infectious disease register. The symptoms only start a few weeks after the tick bite.

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To the disease there is no curative treatment, but it can be protected against by vaccination. However, the vaccine does not protect ticks from Lyme disease, which is generally contagious.

The TBE vaccine is offered free of charge to permanent or summer residents of Husi’s risk areas.

In addition, vaccination is recommended for those who move in nature in certain urban areas. In Helsinki, it means Etelä-Laajasalo, Jolla, Villinki, Kivinokka, Länsi-Herttoniemi and precisely Roihuvuore.

Lyme disease is clearly more common than tick-borne encephalitis, and there is no vaccine for it. However, an antibiotic is effective against the disease.

While tick-borne encephalitis is usually diagnosed in about a hundred people in Finland, up to a couple of thousand people are sick with borreliosis. There have been more than 340 cases of borreliosis this year.

Borreliosis is transmitted from a tick to a person after hours or even a day, so it is also important to remove the tick from the skin quickly. The best way to protect yourself from borreliosis is tick bite.

“It’s worth petting and stroking your child, partner or friend after going out. The tick can be really small and skin-colored and it can be difficult to notice it with the eyes,” says Jääskeläinen.

On the other hand, Jääskeläinen does not believe in the reliable protection of long legs and sleeves, because a small tick can also get on the skin between clothes.

“However, it’s not a good idea to leave moving in nature because you’re afraid of ticks.”

Correction 19.8. at 7:28 p.m.: Corrected Tähtivuorinpuisto to Tähtitorninvuori.