Wednesday, September 24 | 2025
How to prevent tick-borne disease in Sweden? That is definitely a big and important question. Finally, summer and time to enjoy the outdoors! But it is also time for protection. This is because summer is also the time when tick-borne infections such as TBE (tick-borne encephalitis) and Borrelia (Lyme Borrelios) get more common. Here is some useful information about both.
Does Sweden have ticks?
Short answer is yes! The long answer is that there are large areas in Sweden with increased risk to get TBE. For instance:
- Central Sweden has some of the highest occurrences of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). Risk areas include Dalarna, Gävleborg, Södermanland and Värmland counties.
- Southern Sweden. Places like Skåne, Blekinge and Halland near the Baltic Sea coast have elevated rates of Lyme disease and TBE. Forested areas are more risky of course.
- Lapland – The northernmost region has reported cases of Lyme disease and TBE.
- The islands Gotland and Öland have many documented Lyme disease cases as ticks thrive in coastal environments.
- Stockholm area – The capital region sees tick activity year-round due to its milder climate. Risk is higher in green spaces and woods
The public health agency has updated information about high risk areas which they show in a tick map of sorts of Sweden.
How to prevent tick-borne disease in Sweden
The obvious solution to preventing tick-borne disease is of course not to get bitten. But as there are ticks pretty much all over Sweden and it really is a shame to stay indoors during the few months of sun and warmth, we need to look to more practical solutions to avoid getting bitten by a tick and avoiding getting sick by them.
- The main thing is actually to get vaccinated and as this is not covered by the general health plan, you will have to organize it yourself and pay a small fee. Get the kids vaccinated as well.
- Wear light-colored, closed clothing to spot ticks more easily. Tuck your trousers into your socks and your shirt into your trousers as this works as a barrier against ticks.
- Use insect repellent.
- Stay on cleared trails when hiking or walking in areas with heavy vegetation. Avoid brushing against plants and tall grasses where ticks may be waiting.
- This one is important and should be a routine on summer evenings. Check your entire body for ticks after being outside, including hair, underarms, ears, belly button and all areas that are a bit “hidden”. Have someone else check areas you can’t see well. Check kids and babies too.
- Take a shower as soon as possible after coming indoors to wash off any unattached ticks.
- Remove ticks straight away with tweezers that are especially for removing ticks. They looks like this and you find them in all pharmacies. Grasp as close to the skin as possible and pull straight out with steady pressure. When searching for a “fästingborttagare” make sure you add the word “människa” (human) as you will otherwise get suggestions for tick removers for dogs which doesn’t work as well on humans 😃
- Be alert for symptoms of tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease in the weeks following a tick bite. See a doctor immediately if you get a rash or other signs.
Where can I get vaccinated against TBE in Sweden?
There are loads of places to get vaccinated against TBE. You can do it in:
- a lot of pharmacies,
- your local doctor,
- vaccination centers AND there is a tick buss that stops in various locations. Find the nearest fästingbuss near you.
- Search for fästingvaccin and the name of your town for the nearest vaccination places.
Quick facts about TBE (from Fasting.nu)
TBE is spreading both west and south in Sweden. 2017 reported the highest number of cases in Stockholm, Uppsala, Västra Götaland and Södermanland.
- Those who get infected with TBE viruses can get flu-like symptoms in 1-2 weeks, such as mild fever and head and body aches. It lasts for up to a week. After that, you feel restored and then have lifelong immunity.
- At every 3rd infection, the virus can spread to the brain. In this case, one gets sick again with an affected general condition that often requires hospitalization.
- There is no medicine that cures TBE, but the treatment given is only symptomatic. That’s why it’s so important to vaccinate against TBE if you stay in areas where TBE infection occurs. Look for vaccination centers here.
Quick facts about Borrelia
Yearly, at least 10,000 people are suffering from Borrelia infection in Sweden. You can not vaccinate against Borrelia, but it can be treated. One can also suffer from borrelia several times.
- At the bite, you typically see an expanding redness greater than five centimeters in diameter. It occurs 1-4 weeks after the bite and can fade from the center and outwards. Sometimes one may feel sick and possibly get a fever.
- Borrelia can also give symptoms of the central nervous system, joints and occasionally from the heart. Symptoms of the nervous system can be headaches, nausea or radiant pains in the arms, legs or back. Sometimes, half-sided facial paralysis occurs.
- Be aware of tick-infested areas. After coming indoors, check your clothes for ticks, shower as soon as possible, and if you discover a tick the sooner you remove it the less is the risk of infection. Learn how to remove a tick.
- Antibiotics are used successfully in most cases when treating Borrelia.
