Wear clothing that covers the entire body.
Ticks live on the ground, so children are more vulnerable because of their size and should wear something to cover their heads.
Use an anti-tick spray on shoes and the parts of the body that come into contact with grass and bushes.
Protect your dog or cat with an anti-tick product. Stay on wide paths and avoid contact with grass and bushes.
Check your clothing and uncovered body regularly; light-coloured clothing makes it easier to find ticks.
Removing ticks quickly and correctly
When do you need to see a doctor?
The head of the tick is stuck and the area has become infected. Sometimes the head tears off during removal. This is usually not a problem; only rarely does an infection develop.
The bite area becomes inflamed.
There is an expanding rash. A circular rash appears a few days after the tick bite and continues to spread. This indicates Lyme disease.
You run a fever, have a headache or aching limbs and feel run down 5 to 14 days after removing the tick. These symptoms are typical for both TBE and Lyme disease.
The free app from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences provides information about protection against tick bites and what to do in the event of a tick bite: Apps area of Google Play Entertainment Mac App Store (apple.com)
Web page of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) on tick-borne diseases (admin.ch) (available in German, French and Italian)
April through November: monthly situation report on tick-borne diseases (FOPH) (web page available in German, French and Italian)
Federal Office of Public Health: Infectious Diseases Dashboard - Tick-borne diseases