In 2018, 132 individuals, including 31 children, sought medical attention at healthcare facilities in Lepel district due to tick bites; 6 people contracted Lyme disease. In April 2019, 1 case of tick bites on humans was registered, including 1 child.
In the Republic of Belarus, ixodid and meadow ticks are vectors for the causative agents of 9 infectious diseases (Western tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, granulocytic anaplasmosis, monocytic ehrlichiosis, tick-borne rickettsiosis; babesiosis, tularemia, Q fever, bartonellosis). The mechanism and route of infection are transmissive – during a tick bite. Additionally, in the case of tick-borne encephalitis, alimentary transmission (through consumption of raw goat milk and, very rarely, cow milk) and contact transmission (by crushing a tick and infecting mucous membranes) are also possible. Infection with tick-borne pathogens occurs from March to November, with a summer-autumn seasonal increase in incidence.
Ixodid ticks are often found in mixed forests. They are most prevalent in forest clearings, old logging sites, and other areas with tall grass, well-developed undergrowth, and along forest paths. Ticks can also be encountered in urban park areas, as well as in dacha and allotment gardens.
The ixodid tick is a tiny creature, up to 2-3 mm in length, with a flattened body covered by a marble or black shield on half of its body in females and the entire body in males. Ticks crawl onto the branches of bushes and grass, usually no higher than one meter. Upon sensing the approach of an animal or human through their scent, the tick attaches itself and makes its way to exposed areas of skin.
Before biting, the tick injects a special anaesthetic fluid into the insertion site, which is why the person does not feel pain. Only occasionally, a slight itch may be felt at the bite site, which often goes unnoticed.