Over 250 cases of the tick-borne early summer meningo-encephalitis (ESME) disease have been recorded in Switzerland so far in 2019, the second-highest number since the year 2000.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/dos
Português
pt
Casos de encefalite transmitida por carrapatos permanecem altos, apesar de campanha de vacinação
The figure is second-only to the record 353 of last year. The third-most cases reported in a single year came in 2017, with 250. Overall, since the year 2000, annual cases have fluctuated, with some years seeing less than 100 incidences, but with a steady rise in the past five years.
ESME, which attacks the nervous system and may result in paralysis, permanent sequelaeExternal link or death, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is transmitted by tick bites, and most cases are reported in the summer months. In 2019, the peak came in July.
However, the FOPH also noted that general consultations by patients suffering from tick bites, as well as patients showing signs of Lyme disease – another tick-borne disease – were both within the normal range in 2019, at 18,000 and 9,300 respectively.
The WHO says that the risk of contracting ESME is highest when hiking or camping in forested areas up to an altitude of about 1,500 metres.
Advice for avoiding tick-borne diseases are mainly practical precautions such as wearing long trousers and closed footwear when hiking or camping in nature. The WHO also says that “the whole body should be inspected daily and attached ticks removed as soon as possible”.
Ticks have to be properly removed with tweezers. If mouth parts of the tick remain under the skin for longer than around 36-48 hours, there is a risk of becoming ill.
Swiss money laundering office registers record number of reports
This content was published on
The Money Laundering Reporting Office Switzerland (MROS) registered a record number of reports of suspicious activity last year.
Two teens accused of planning terror attack released from custody
This content was published on
The Schaffhausen judiciary has released the two teenagers from custody who allegedly planned bomb attacks in Switzerland.
OECD: Sluggish economic activity slowing growth in Switzerland
This content was published on
Sluggish economic activity at the start of the year is weighing on growth in Switzerland, with GDP expected to fall to 1.1% in 2024.
Report finds mistakes which led to Swiss government data breach
This content was published on
Mistakes were made by both the government and internet company Xplain in the case of a criminal cyber-attack on the Bern-based IT business.
Swiss government wants better gender balance in federal administration
This content was published on
New Swiss government personnel management targets say there must be even more female managers in the federal administration.
Swiss national science foundation funded over 5,000 projects in 2023
This content was published on
In 2023, the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) provided a total of CHF961 million worth of funding towards research projects.
Switzerland invites 160 delegations to June Ukraine peace talks
This content was published on
Russia is currently not among the delegations invited to talks aimed at helping bring about peace in the conflict between Moscow and Ukraine.
Survey: air travel most popular way to go on holidays for Swiss
This content was published on
Despite the climate crisis, flying is the most popular mode of transport for private travel – particularly among young, urban and high-income travellers.
Swiss government to use phone data to identify asylum seekers
This content was published on
From April 2025, authorities plan to be able to analyse data from mobile phones, computers and other data carriers to identify asylum seekers.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Tick-borne encephalitis threatens almost all of Switzerland
This content was published on
Only two Swiss cantons are not considered “at-risk” zones for tick-borne diseases, the Federal Office of Public Health has announced.
Nation urged to vaccinate against tick-borne disease
This content was published on
Ticks have become such a menace across Switzerland that the government is urging everyone to get vaccinated against a disease they cause.
This content was published on
Physicians in Switzerland have seen a sharp increase in the number of tick bites as well as cases of Lyme disease this year.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.