• Ticks also dangerous in Winter
• AachenMünchener casualty insurance includes tick bites

What's not very widely known and therefore somewhat surprising is that ticks can also be lurking in your Christmas tree. “The ticks can get on or into your clothing when you're putting up the tree or decorating it. Remember too the little children opening their presents under the tree and playing – or a dog or cat brushing past the tree,” warns Rolf Dockhorn, AachenMünchener expert.

Ticks are also active in Winter
Not only the warm summer months bring ticks, in winter they can also be dangerous. Although they tend to be ground crawlers they can be found in branches well above a metre high. Christmas trees are generally fairly low: firs with branches near the ground, which is often densely covered with grass etc., so it's easy for a tick to get into what's going to be your Christmas tree. Ticks are motionless when there is frost, but if the Christmas tree is in the living room things can change very quickly. From eight degrees Celsius onwards the tick becomes active again and starts looking for a host.

Serious tick-borne diseases
Tick-bites themselves are harmless for humans, but a virus from the tick's intestine can get into the bloodstream and trigger off a borrelia infection which, if left untreated, can cause severe medical disorders. Since most tick bites go unnoticed many borrelia patients don't link the first symptoms such as headache, fever or joint pains with a tick bite. A typical red spot about the size of a one euro coin does not always appear around the bite. If borreliosis (Lyme disease) is recognised early enough it can be effectively treated with antibiotics. If not, chronic disorders can set in which, in particularly severe cases, can lead to a lasting impairment or even invalidity. Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), as the name says, can also be transmitted by ticks. This virus can lead to meningitis, and even death. Therefore, people who are often in risk areas should get the appropriate vaccination. In Germany TBE-infected ticks are common in Baden-Wuerttemberg and Bavaria , as well as parts of Thuringia, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. Regardless of the region ticks can transmit the borrelosis virus for which there is no vaccine.

Safe and sure with AachenMünchener casualty insurance
Anyone taking seriously ill following a tick bite can get into financial trouble alongside the health problems. The AachenMünchener casualty insurance includes tick bites and, if the worst comes to the worst, will pay invalidity benefits, hospital per diem or a lifelong pension. Particularly in the case of borreliosis the insured has the problem that often many months lie between the tick bite and the identification of the consequences of the disease. The insured can after such a long time no longer prove the tick bite – i.e. the actual casualty - and therefore cannot meet the insurance deadlines. The AachenMünchener casualty insurance makes it easier for their customers. The tick bite need not be proven by the insured, but a medical certificate should testify the invalidity as a consequence of a TBE infection or Lyme disease. The insured then has three months time to make his claim from AachenMünchener.

Aachen, December 17, 2009


About AachenMünchener:
The name AachenMünchener stands for two companies: AachenMünchener Lebensversicherung AG and AachenMünchener Versicherung AG. With a premium income of € 4,110.6 m (2008), AachenMünchener Lebensversicherung AG is the second-largest life insurer in Germany . AachenMünchener Versicherung AG is one of the biggest German property and casualty insurers. In 2008 it had a premium income of € 1,027.2 m. AachenMünchener is rated together with the Generali Deutschland Group, which is the only primary insurance Group in Germany having interactive ratings from all rating agencies of international renown. It has obtained top ratings throughout for its extraordinary financial strength. The rating agencies Standard & Poor's and Fitch have granted AA- ratings for the financial strength of AachenMünchener. The rating assigned by Moody's is Aa3.

AachenMünchener Lebensversicherung AG
AachenMünchener Versicherung AG

Contact:
Andreas Krosta
Phone: (02 41) 4 56-54 81
Alexandra van Rey
Phone: (02 41) 4 56-44 26

Aureliusstraße 2
52064 Aachen
Fax: (02 41) 4 56-55 14
medien@amv.de
www.amv.de