Switzerland is one of the world’s safer countries when it comes to animals. While there are wolves, vipers and the occasional bear, these are relatively rare and pose little danger to humans. 

One animal that might have a case as the most dangerous in Switzerland however is the tick. 

Ticks cause disease and are not just a threat to people with pets, while they are found all across the country. 

Where do you find ticks in Switzerland?

Ticks can be found all over Switzerland in forests, meadows, and long grass, meaning the biggest risk is when you’re out in nature – especially hiking, camping, or berry-picking – but they can also be found in urban areas, such as city parks or on the outskirts of towns and villages. 

According to the Swiss government, ticks can be found in 24 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons – i.e. all of them other than Ticino and Geneva. 

Ticks are active when the temperature is higher than around 5C, but are most common during the summer months. Tick season is roughly from March to October, with most bites occurring in summer.

What diseases can they cause?

The two main tick-borne diseases are Lyme disease and Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).

Lyme disease (also called borrelia/borreliosis) causes no symptoms in around half of all people who catch it. For others, it can cause skin redness, headaches, and pain, and can attack the nervous system. Symptoms usually appear between two and six weeks after the bite, but can take longer.

READ MORE: Swiss health authorities raise alarm over rise in tick-borne disease

TBE is a viral brain infection, which can cause a range of symptoms, usually starting with typical flu-like symptoms and then developing to include nausea, dizziness, and in around a third of cases, severe problems. Symptoms usually appear around a week after the bite, but can take longer. There is no cure, but it can be treated, and there is a vaccination too.

Up to 50 percent of ticks carry Lyme disease, with around 10,000 people contracting it in Switzerland every year. 

Around one percent of ticks carry TBE. 

Ticks are tiny, but you should be able to spot them on your skin if you check carefully. Photo: Fredrik Sandberg/TT

How can I protect myself?

Lyme disease has no vaccine but can be treated, while TBE cannot be cured but both a vaccine and treatments are available.

Because of the risk of Lyme disease, even if you’re up to date on your TBE vaccines, you should still do what you can to prevent ticks.

If you’ll be spending time in wooded areas with long grass, especially those known to have a high tick presence, take precautions like wearing long sleeved clothing and tucking trousers into socks.

Try to avoid brushing against long grasses by walking along the middle of the path where you can.

After returning home from a day out, you should check carefully yourself, your children and your pets for ticks and shower shortly after coming inside.

This can give you the chance to remove them before they bite, for example if you spot them on your clothes. Putting clothes in a tumble dryer for one hour should kill ticks.

An example of the redness caused by Lyme disease. Photo: Claudio Bresciani/SCANPIX/TT

What if I get bitten?

If you do get a tick, you should remove it safely. The sooner you can do this, the lower the risk that it will be able to infect you with Lyme disease as it can take up to 24 hours for the bacteria to be transferred.

It can be done with a special tick remover (which you should be able to buy at most Swiss pharmacies) or tweezers. Some hikers have told us they also go to the doctor or the pharmacy to have the tick properly removed. 

The important thing is making sure you remove the whole tick, by grabbing it as close to the skin as possible and pulling slowly. If you just grab the body, there is the chance you will pull it out without removing the head. 

Then, wash and clean the bite, and contact a doctor if you’re worried, especially if you experience symptoms of illness in the weeks after being bitten.

Photo: Staffan Claesson/Scanpix/TT

How can I get a TBE vaccine?

Vaccinations are recommended for those living in areas with TBE-infested ticks, and/or who spend a lot of time out in forests.

You get three doses within the first year (or four if you’re over 50), each one increasing the level of protection, another dose after three years and then will need top-ups every five years.

Because you need several doses to be fully protected, it’s recommended that you begin the vaccination programme well ahead of tick season.