Tick bite: A map of the most affected areas

While not all ticks are infected, some are dangerous, and are vectors of pathogens, which transmit Lyme disease. This infectious disease can be caught after a tick bite infected with the bacteria borrelia, particularly in forests, wooded and humid areas and tall grasses in the prairies. There is also a risk of stings in private gardens. Lyme disease is not contagious. However, it can sometimes be disabling (joint pain, partial paralysis of the limbs...).

Each year, the CiTIQUE program maps the presence of ticks in France, using reported tick bites Internet or from the Tick Alert app. According to the program 15% ticks carry a bacterium that transmits Lyme disease, and 14% they also carry another pathogen. The regions most affected are the Grand Est, Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Auvergne-Rhône Alpes and Nouvelle Aquitaine.

Tick bites: how to prevent them?

Some prevention tips for any outing (forest or gardens):

• have a tick-lift and disinfectant always on hand;
• wear long, light, covering clothing, and use a repellent if possible (repellents for clothing and skin are available, and pharmacies should ask about contraindications for children and pregnant women);
• wear a hat covering the head and neck, particularly to protect children, who have heads at tall grass and shrubs;
• wear high shoes, trousers in socks, blouse in trousers;
• change clothes and place them in a 60° washing machine or dryer for at least 1 hour because the tick does not like dry heat after a walk;
• meticulously observe all areas of the body, including creases and intimate areas, and put your hand over the skin to feel any attached ticks. Get help for hard-to-reach parts (back, neck, scalp, etc.). Repeat the action the next day;
• remove the tick with the tick-pull, if there is a sting. Any other method is prohibited (oil, alcohol, ether...);
• monitor the sting area and its general health for at least 30 days.