Don't let illness spoil your summer
Summer can be enjoyed to the full when you remember to protect yourself from illness in the right ways.
Prevent ticks from reaching your skin
Ticks can spread Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Of these, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and TBE is a viral infection. Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics. There is a vaccine against TBE.
In recent years, both Lyme disease and TBE have become more common. Even so, the risk of contracting a TBE remains small. For example, in TBE risk areas, only 1–2% of ticks carry the virus.
Lyme disease is significantly more common than TBE, but the risk of infection varies considerably by area. The risk of Lyme disease can be reduced by protecting yourself against tick bites and removing any ticks that have attached to the skin.
You can prevent ticks from reaching your skin by wearing appropriate clothing. When moving through tick-prone areas in nature, wear light-coloured, long-sleeved and long-legged clothing and tuck your trouser legs into your socks. Insect repellent applied to exposed areas of skin can provide additional protection. Remember to protect any pets that spend time outdoors from ticks too, and check their coat daily for ticks.
A vaccine protects against TBE
There is a vaccine against TBE. However, the vaccine does not protect against Lyme disease, nor does it prevent tick bites.
The TBE vaccine is recommended if you spend a lot of time outdoors in nature in areas where the disease is prevalent. If the risk of the disease is low, vaccination is not necessary. Vaccination is only recommended in limited areas. Vaccination recommendations by municipality can be checked on THL's map service.
Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) risk areas and vaccination recommendations (in Finnish)
Check for ticks daily
TBE can be transmitted within minutes of a tick bite, whereas Lyme disease is only transmitted 12–24 hours after a tick has attached. The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to protect yourself against tick bites and carry out a daily tick check. If you notice a tick on your skin, remove it immediately. The longer a tick remains attached, the greater the risk of infection.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible using tweezers or your fingers. Pull the tick out with a smooth, straight motion. Clean the wound with a disinfectant and wash your hands with soap and water. Make a note of the date in your calendar so you have it available should you need it.
Take care that the tick's mouthparts do not remain in the skin, as they can cause a localised infection. However, they can no longer transmit disease. If parts of the tick remain in the skin and cannot be carefully removed, it is important to monitor and clean the wound daily until it has healed. An antibacterial ointment may also be used.
If increasing signs of infection develop around the bite area (warmth, redness, pain), or a rash typical of Lyme disease appears – a spreading, reddish, often ring-shaped rash – or if you develop general symptoms, you should seek medical attention.
Protect yourself against vole fever
Bank voles spread vole fever. The Puumala virus, which causes the disease, is excreted in vole urine and faeces. The virus is usually transmitted to humans through the respiratory tract, when aerosol containing rodent secretions enters the air being breathed. Exposure to the virus can occur, for example, when handling firewood or cleaning outbuildings.
Prevent voles from entering living spaces. Protect yourself against vole fever when cleaning or working in spaces where bank voles, vole tracks, or their droppings have been found.
Wipe up vole droppings with a damp cloth so that they do not become airborne as dust. Do not use a vacuum cleaner, as this spreads dust. When cleaning spaces where rodent secretions or tracks have been found, or when handling trapped rodents, wear protective gloves.
Personal protective equipment, such as respiratory masks, can provide additional protection. Make sure to wash your hands with soap and water after cleaning. Vole fever does not spread from person to person.
Clothing protects against mosquitoes
In Finland, mosquitoes can spread Pogosta disease, which is caused by a virus, and tularaemia, which is caused by a bacterium.
Both diseases occur most commonly in mid to late summer. Pogosta disease is found most frequently in eastern and central Finland, typically with several tens of cases recorded each year. Tularaemia is most common in Northern and Southern Ostrobothnia, Central Finland, Pirkanmaa, and Satakunta.
Mosquito- and tick-borne diseases also occur elsewhere in Europe, so during the summer months travellers would do well to keep an eye on the regional disease situation and remember to protect themselves against bites and stings at their destination as well.
West Nile fever, which is spread by mosquitoes, occurs in central and southern Europe, for example. In recent years, there have also been increasing numbers of local dengue fever and chikungunya epidemics in areas where the Asian tiger mosquito is present, particularly in Italy and France.
Protect yourself against mosquito bites by wearing covering clothing, using mosquito nets, and applying insect repellents. Remember to protect yourself particularly in late summer when picking berries and mushrooms in the forest and when spending time in nature more generally.
Insect repellent does not last more than a few hours, so remember to reapply it regularly. Do not apply insect repellent to large areas of skin or to mucous membranes. Check with pharmacy staff which products are suitable for young children.
Be aware of the risk of legionella when handling soil
Legionella bacteria occur naturally in small quantities in fresh water and soil. They can also be found in potting soil and compost products.
To prevent legionella bacteria from causing illness, dry soil or compost should not be allowed to disperse dust into the air. Infection may also occur through wounds in the skin.
When handling soil and compost products, it is advisable to follow these guidelines:
- Avoid creating dust clouds from soil or compost.
- Protect any wounds or broken skin on your hands.
- Wear protective gloves and wash your hands thoroughly afterwards.
- Open bags of potting soil so that the opening faces away from your face.
- Moisten soil or compost if needed using low water pressure, such as with a watering can.
- Wash soil or compost from tools using low water pressure.
- Store bags of potting soil out of sunlight. The internal temperature of a bag stored in sunlight is ideal for the growth of legionella bacteria.
- If dust cannot be avoided, FFP2 or FFP3 respirators provide protection against exposure. Fit the respirator securely to your face.
Use a condom – avoid sexually transmitted infections
Sexually transmitted infections are diseases caused by bacteria or viruses that are spread primarily through unprotected sex.
There are many different types of sexually transmitted infection. Chlamydia, gonorrhoea, and syphilis are caused by bacteria. Genital herpes, genital warts, HIV, and hepatitis B and C are caused by viruses.
The best way to protect yourself against sexually transmitted infections is to use a condom and an oral dam. These should be used throughout intercourse and oral sex. Before using a condom, check the best-before date and that the packaging is intact.
Lubricant protects mucous membranes and improves the durability of a condom. In anal intercourse, lubricant should always be used alongside a condom, either water-based or silicone-based. Oil-based lubricant should not be used, as it weakens the condom.
It may be a good idea to bring your own condoms when travelling, as the availability, fit, and quality of condoms can vary from country to country.
Sexually transmitted infections are often asymptomatic – get tested without hesitation
You should get tested if you have had unprotected sex or a condom has broken, and always if you have symptoms of a sexually transmitted infection. In public healthcare, tests for sexually transmitted infections are free of charge for the patient.
Left untreated, sexually transmitted infections are passed on to sexual partners. It is worth remembering that sexually transmitted infections are often mildly symptomatic or entirely asymptomatic. Even an asymptomatic infection can be passed on and cause serious consequences, such as infertility.