Foreign tick species are spreading in Germany as a result of climate change. This increases the risk of TBE disease.
Stuttgart – With the rising temperatures and the increasing spring weather, the tick season also begins. Children playing in the high grass or hikers trudging through forest and meadows in short, airy clothing are a dream for vermin that should not be underestimated: Ticks transmit dangerous diseases such as tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) or Lyme disease.
What is currently special is that in addition to the common wood tick, which is the most widespread tick species in this country, other tick species are also spreading. The Auwald tick has now been detected nationwide, said Ute Mackenstedt from the University of Hohenheim on Tuesday (03/08/22) at a press conference. However, alluvial forest ticks rarely bite people.
New, dangerous diseases caused by tropical ticks in Germany
Tropical ticks are now also finding their way to Germany: the Hyalomma tick is brought to Central Europe by migratory birds. However, due to the damp summer*, fewer of the tropical ticks were found in Germany last year. As part of a study, the University of Hohenheim has called for ticks to be sent to the relevant institute over the past three years. In 2021, only ten tropical ticks were among them, while there were 191 in the two previous years. In these two years there were warm summers with long dry periods, which, according to Mackenstedt, apparently favored the development of tropical ticks.
“At the moment we are not assuming that Hyalomma species are native to Germany,” said the expert. However, should there be more hot and dry summers in view of the climate changes, it must be expected “that in the future we will have other tick species more frequently in Germany than before”.
TBE: Disease transmitted by tropical ticks can be fatal
The Hyalomma tick is easily distinguished from native species by its spidery appearance and brown and yellow striped legs. In addition, the tropical ticks are comparatively large. The adult stages of development prefer hosts that are as large as possible, such as horses. “But the species has also been found on other domestic animals and even on humans,” says the University of Hohenheim’s website. The Hyalomma tick can transmit new, dangerous diseases such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
| Surname | Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) |
|---|---|
| pathogen | is caused by a virus from the flavivirus group |
| Distribution (Germany) | especially Southern Germany and adjacent areas |
| transmission | tick bites |
| symptoms | flu-like, impaired coordination and consciousness |
| prevention | long clothes, vaccination |
TBE, a virus-related meningitis or encephalitis, is also transmitted by ticks. Flu-like symptoms can occur with a TBE infection. In more severe cases, the brain and spinal cord are also affected. Symptoms include coordination disorders, paralysis, speech and language disorders, as well as impaired consciousness and epileptic seizures. The disease is fatal for around one percent of patients.
TBE risk areas: Protection against infected ticks through long clothing and vaccination
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the number of cases of TBE diseases fell by around 45 percent to around 390 cases last year. However, TBE activity is becoming stronger overall in northern Germany, said Gerhard Dobler from the National Consultative Laboratory for TBE at the Bundeswehr Institute for Microbiology in Munich.
It is therefore important to continue to protect yourself from the disease*. “During hikes that lead through bushes or high grass, e.g. when looking for berries, clothing that covers as much body surface as possible can reduce the risk of tick infestation (e.g. long trousers, long-sleeved shirts, sturdy shoes and trouser legs tucked into socks)”, says it on the RKI website. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) also recommends vaccination for people who are in risk areas.
New TBE risk areas in Germany due to climate-related movement of ticks
The TBE risk area in Germany is constantly expanding. So far, 169 counties have been among the affected regions*. These primarily include districts in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, in southern Hesse, in south-eastern Thuringia and in Saxony. There are also individual risk areas in central Hesse, in Saarland, in Rhineland-Palatinate and in Lower Saxony.
As the RKI announced at the beginning of March 2022, six new risk regions will be added with immediate effect, “four of which border on known risk areas. For the first time in Brandenburg, three districts are risk areas (LK Oberspreewald-Lausitz, LK Oder-Spree and LK Spree-Neiße), for the first time in North Rhine-Westphalia the SK Solingen is a risk area and in Saxony two districts are added (SK Chemnitz and LK Görlitz). Thus, 175 districts are currently defined as TBE risk areas,” says the institute’s website.
Rainer Oehme from the Baden-Württemberg State Health Office pointed out that ticks infected with TBE are now also moving to higher-lying regions. “In the valleys it gets almost too warm and too dry for them, ticks need high humidity,” said Oehme. With climate change, ticks spread to the mountains. (Monja Stolz with AFP) *hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
Rubriklistenbild: © W. Willner / imago
