Last year, 3,938 cases of Lyme disease and 112 cases of tick-borne encephalitis were recorded. This year's data covers the period to 27 July 2020.

The institute pointed out that the 2020 data was preliminary and would probably change retroactively given the Covid-19 situation.

Ticks are active in Slovenia from early spring to late autumn under the right conditions, with the peak time being from late spring to early autumn. They are hungrier in warmer weather.

The NIJZ does not have the data on the current tick population in the country, but standard precautions apply in any scenario - using tick repellent, wearing light clothes that cover as much skin as possible, checking for ticks.

There is no vaccine available for Lyme disease yet, but there is a vaccine preventing tick-borne encephalitis.

During the coronavirus epidemic vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis was suspended, but it resumed immediately after the epidemic was declared over.

Slovenia is one of the EU countries with the highest reported incidence rates of the disease. Risk is present in all forested areas in the country, particularly in the Gorenjska, Koroška and Ljubljana regions. Ticks carrying Lyme disease are widespread across Slovenia.