New website launched for reporting tick bites in Belgium

In an effort to identify the areas in Belgium with the highest risk of tick bites, for the prevention of Lyme disease, the Scientific Institute of Public Health (IPH) launched a new website TekenNet.be. Those affected by a tick bite are encouraged to report it via the site, announced the IPH in a press release.

Lyme disease is an infectious disease that can be transmitted to humans through the bite of a tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. The risk of infection increases with prolonged skin contact.

"The favourable areas for the survival of ticks are known to scientists. These are mainly shady places, covered with a thick mulch, ferns and tall grass. But the risk of being bitten by a tick can vary from year to year depending on weather conditions, among other factors," says Tinne Lernout of the IPH. "So the annual number of tick bites within the Belgian population is not yet known."

With TekenNet.be, the IPH aims to identify the biggest risk areas throughout Belgium. The institute urges citizens to report tick bites as soon as possible via the website. The more people participate, the more realistic the map of high-risk areas.

The plan is to collect and examine the data every year in order to clearly identify – and reduce - the risk of Lyme disease in the country, especially for people who are regularly exposed to ticks such as foresters, farmers and gardeners.