Lyme disease: Ticks infect us more and more!

Published on 05/14/2024 12:45

Lyme disease is spreading in the countries of the northern hemisphere. In 2016, France had 84 cases per 100,000 inhabitants.

Every year, Lyme disease causes more and more casualties.

In a Weekly Epidemiological Bulletin (BEH) published on June 19, 2018, the National Agency of Public Health France reveals that 84 people out of a sample of 100,000 inhabitants were affected by the disease during the year 2016 (against only 41 in 2011 ).

This significant increase can be explained by the fact that the French are more informed about this disease and recognize the symptoms. In 2016, one in four French people said they had already been bitten by a tick, while more than 60% said they had already heard about it. Tick bites, which favor wooded and humid areas, are more numerous during the summer period. Blame the temptation to frolic in the lawn and picnic in the parks.

Once infected with a tick carrying the Borrelia bacteria (which causes the disease ) , the patients then suffer from arthritis, neurological problems and ocular complications. Red patches (called migrating erythema) also manifest themselves on their bodies.

Alsace and Limousin, the regions most affected by Lyme disease

Between 2005 and 2016, 799 people with Lyme disease were hospitalized each year. In Alsace and Limousin, the rates of hospitalization after a tick bite are the highest: 2.4 cases per 100 000 inhabitants. Occitania, it is a region little affected: there are fewer than 30 tick bites between July 2017 and May 2018.

However, according to studies conducted by Dutch, Swiss and Swedish, the probability of being bitten by an infected tick is only 6.7%.

Watch out for screening tests

To fight against the Lyme epidemic, self-test kits have been marketed on the Internet and in some countries (not in France) to "test the tick" to detect whether it carries the bacteria or not. Sold for less than ten euros, these easy-to-use tests sell like hotcakes. But beware, they can be useless, or even worse: dangerous as deceivers.

Ticks are not only carriers of Borrelia bacteria. In Europe, six other bacteria and at least ten viral diseases are transmitted by these insects, and their symptoms resemble those of Lyme disease. The kit therefore detects if the stung person is contaminated by Lyme, but not by other diseases. The person concerned is therefore falsely reassured, since the presence of all infectious agents has not been verified.

Prevention actions to adopt

In case of tick bite, the first thing to do is to remove it with a tool intended for this purpose. It is important to remove the insect's head from the skin. If this is done less than 24 hours after the bite, the risk of Lyme disease infection decreases sharply. It is therefore very recommended to inspect the head (even in the hair) at the feet every night, to detect as early as possible the presence of a potential tick.

Be careful, ticks bite on the whole body, but still prefer certain places:

Behind the ears
Under the arms
On the chest
In the navel
On the fold of the elbow
Around the genitals
On the fingers
On the fold of the knee
Between the toes

In the event of an injection, it is best to stay in touch with your body for the next three to six weeks, to detect the presence of symptoms of the disease such as fever, pain and swelling in the joints, tingling. or facial paralysis .