The tick while walking in Finland

Where are the ticks in Finland?

The ticks are currently still in the south of Finland, but they are expected to slowly move north due to the gradual warming of the climate. The northernmost Finnish place where a tick has been found is Simo in Central Finland. However, the place with the highest risk factor is Espoo, where several cases of the disease tick-borne encephalitis have been found. Areas around Hankoniemi, Lohja and Tampere are also places where ticks like to come. Furthermore, the southern coastlines and islands are designated as risk areas.

Tick-borne encephalitis / TBE increasingly a threat to Finland

In Finland, they are increasingly confronted with people who have been infected with tick-borne encephalitis after a tick bite. This disease is transmitted immediately after the bite and can cause encephalitis. A week after infection, fever and flu can occur. One in three people who are infected with this virus also get meningitis. This is often accompanied by headaches, dizziness and stiffness of the neck, shoulders and back. Only one percent die from the European variant, but the Siberian variant has also been found in Finland and is many times more deadly. There is no treatment for this disease, but it is possible to get vaccinated.