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HEALTH

Tick warning for Austria after mild winter

Medical experts are warning that this year ticks are particularly active in Austria, due to the winter having been the second warmest on record.

Tick warning for Austria after mild winter
Ticks have eight legs. Photo: Wikimedia

This means an increased risk of contracting the tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus and Lyme disease if bitten by an infected tick.

Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not jump or fall from trees, but wait in grass and shrub land for a host and will climb onto your clothes or skin if you brush against something they're on.

The more wild and natural the environment, the more likely it is that there will be ticks – although they can also be found in parks and gardens. Tick activity is at its highest during Spring and early Summer.

“When we have a mild winter, with temperatures over 5C to 7C, ticks are going to be more active. This doesn’t mean there are more ticks, just that they are more active,” says Georg Duscher, parasitologist and biologist at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna.

Every year he studies ticks in nature and analyses their pathogen. This year researchers observed active ticks as early as January and February.

If you’re bitten by a tick infected with TBE, it can be fatal. Last year 64 people across Austria were infected with TBE.

A vaccination provides protection against TBE in nine out of every ten people who receive it, although you can still get Lyme disease even if you’ve had the “Zeckenimpfung” vaccination.

The vaccine can be purchased in any chemist (Apotheke) in Austria and your doctor will then inject it for you.

Even if you've been vaccinated, you should still take precautions to reduce your risk of being bitten by an infected tick. If you’re out hiking in long grass it’s good practise to wear long-sleeved tops and trousers tucked into your socks, apply an insect repellent to exposed skin and check for ticks when you get home. Common places to find them are around the hairline, behind the ears, on or around the elbows, the backs of the knees, the groin and the armpits.

Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks. Lyme disease can often be treated effectively if it's detected early on. But if it's not treated or treatment is delayed, there's a risk you could develop severe and long-lasting symptoms.

Many people with early-stage Lyme disease develop a distinctive circular rash at the site of the tick bite, usually around three to 30 days after being bitten. The rash is often described as looking like a bull's-eye on a dart board. The affected area of skin will be red and the edges may feel slightly raised. Some people also experience flu-like symptoms in the early stages of Lyme disease.

Experts estimate that between 30 to 40 percent of ticks in Austria are infected with TBE and Lyme disease. The quicker you discover and remove the tick the less likely it is that they will infect you.

If the tick has attached to your skin, it’s best to remove them with fine tipped tweezers or a special tick hook. You can also apply oil, glue or some other type of liquid to the tick before removing it. Ticks only breathe once or twice per hour – so if you cover them in oil or liquid they will suffocate.

Pull upward with a steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the head to break off and remain in the skin, causing infection.

After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor.  

Austria is one of the worst-affected countries in Central Europe for TBE – so even if you’re just coming to visit for a few weeks and plan to spend time in the parks and hike in nature, it’s worth thinking about getting the vaccination.

HEALTH

What do you do in Austria if your nearest pharmacy is closed?

It's nine pm in Austria, and you're out of painkillers or decongestants. You're desperate for pain relief but your local Apotheke is shut, so what do you do?

What do you do in Austria if your nearest pharmacy is closed?

In Austria Apotheken (pharmacies) are the only places in which you can purchase painkillers and decongestants. Ostensibly in the public interest, but it’s also a lucrative moneymaker for the businesses. This monopoly on the sale of certain pharmaceutical drugs is a subject frequently debated and is of much consternation for overseas arrivals. 

READ MORE: Why are painkillers only sold in pharmacies in Austria?

However, many Apotheken can close as early as six pm, especially if you live outside a major city centre. If you’re suffering from a cold or a nasty headache, it can seem like an eternity until they reopen. 

Fortunately, there is relief. Emergency situations will always arise, and pharmacies often band together to provide service at nights, over weekends and on public holidays.

This is done on a rota basis, so your local Apotheke may not be open, there will be a Apotheken-Notdienst (Emergency-service pharmacy) within a 5 – 10km range. 

Often, Apotheken will have a sign or screen out the front that gives the address and opening times for Apotheken-Notdienst in the area, updated frequently.

A number of websites also exist that can give you the location of operating Apotheken-Notdienst across Austria, such as APO24.at. Entering your PLZ (or postcode) will list the nearest to you. 

However, if they don’t have online access, dialling 1455 while put you in touch with a service who can either direct you to the Apotheken-Notdienst on duty, or help you in getting you further assistance. 

If all else fails, your local hospital should have a Notfall-Praxis – ostensibly an emergency doctor service out of hours. If you’re prepared to wait, you will be able to see a doctor, and they can either dispense medication, or direct you to the hospital pharmacy with a prescription. 

Before you go, it’s worth brushing up on your vocabulary. The Local has developed a list of vocabulary and phrases that you can use to describe your symptoms to pharmacists and doctors, to help them prescribe the best possible medication.

READ MORE: Colds and flu: What to say if you get sick in Austria

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