Czechia at 'extreme risk' for tick activity this week: What does this mean and how to stay safe?

With summer weather of up to 25 degrees Celsius this week, current conditions are ideal for outdoor activities -- as well as ticks. The ticks native to the Czech Republic can transmit Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis to humans.

Due to these potential dangers, the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) publishes a daily map of tick activity, and currently, as of Monday, tick ​​activity in the Czech Republic is at its highest, i.e. the fifth level of "extreme" risk, for the next two days. 

If you're planning to be outside you can track tick activity here, we've put together an explainer on what the map means in English and how to take precautions, and when to avoid the outdoors entirely. Currently, the ČHMÚ recommends using a repellant or avoiding deciduous and mixed forests entirely.

"Thanks to milder winters, more ticks survive, and in the spring they become more active earlier – for example, this year they woke up already in February," Kateřina Kybicová, head of the Lyme disease reference laboratory at the National Institute of Public Health (SZÚ), told news server Deník N.

"They also remain active longer into the late fall months. This prolongs the time when there is a risk of infection," she added.

Even if you still discover a tick after taking precautions, experts recommend covering the area of the bite and the tick itself with an alcohol-based disinfectant and letting it soak for a couple of minutes. Avoid applying any type of oil or ointment. After disinfecting the area, use small tweezers to remove the tick by grasping it as close to the skin as possible and using a gentle side-to-side motion to carefully remove it.

Anyone who is bitten by a tick and starts to experience flu-like symptoms within four days up to two weeks should see a doctor. Symptoms to be concerned about include fever, headache, muscle ache, fatigue, and malaise. Keep an eye on the site of the bite, and if a red area with a diameter of 3–5 cm develops, seek immediate medical attention.

According to public health insurer VZP's web pages, all people over the age of 50 (who have Czech health insurance) are entitled to free vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis. The standard price for this vaccine is around CZK 800–900. Health insurance companies reimburse for varying amounts. Czech public health insurance, for instance, reimburses CZK 500 to adults over 18 and CZK 700 for children under 18.