Introduction:
Much attention has recently been paid to tick-borne diseases. The most prevalent diseases are Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). In this review, the general characteristics of both diseases are presented, including clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment; an effective vaccine is also discussed which would effectively prevent TBE. The objective of the study was an overview of the available epidemiological data on TBE and LB in the Pomeranian Region of Poland, collected during the period 2006–2010.LB and TBE are the most important vector-borne diseases in Europe. In Poland, the principal vectors of TBE virus and Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium are hard ticks Ixodes ricinus. Ticks may transmit numerous pathogens which produce threatening results, from infected small animals to humans,. The diseases may lead to severe complications of the neurological system, the heart, and the joints. The expansion of endemic areas of TBE and BL has been noticed during recent years, along with global warming, change of the life style and changes in land usage. There is speculation that this is due to the factors affecting the vector biology of the ticks and pathogen transmissions. The ticks are increasingly found in cities and industrial areas, where the risk of infection is comparable to that in the forest areas. An additional problem is the lack of a vaccine against LB.Lyme borreliosis (LB) and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) are an expanding public health problem that requires our forceful epidemiological supervision. It is important to evaluate the risk of infection by these diseases in Poland and worldwide. Key words: ticks, borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis, epidemiology, Pomeranian Region of Poland