Tick year 2024
Why the risk of ticks is particularly high this year – Eleven questions and answers
Tick year 2024: The risk of ticks is particularly high in forests, but the arachnids also lurk for hosts in the home garden or a park. They prefer to sit in damp grass or on the branches of low bushes, from which they can be brushed off. Ticks cannot actively jump.
© iStockphoto
Why epidemiologists expect many tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) infections this year and why risk maps don’t tell the whole story.
In 2023 there were fewer infections with tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) than in the previous year. Is this a general trend?
Unfortunately not. “Until around 2017, every third year was a strong year for ticks, but now it is every second year. So we expect more infections again in 2024,” says Prof. Ute Mackenstedt, head of the parasitology department at the University of Hohenheim. Researchers don’t yet know why there are these ups and downs in infections. Regardless of this, the average number of TBE infections has been rising for years, show statistics from the responsible Robert Koch Institute (RKI).
At what point in the year do you have to be particularly careful about ticks?
Ticks are now active all year round. The reason for this is the increasingly mild winters without severe frosts. This means that you can become infected with the dangerous TBE virus all year round. “The RKI registered the first infection this year in February, which means that the tick bite must have taken place in January,” says Mackenstedt. From March/April tick activity increases sharply.
Can every tick bite lead to an infection with TBE or Lyme disease?
Lyme disease, a bacterial infection, can be contracted virtually anywhere. Things are a little different with TBE, says Mackenstedt: “There are so-called natural foci, places about the size of half a football field, where ticks carry the TBE virus and other places where the virus does not occur.” In these hotspots, the number of TBE-positive ticks varies between 0.5 and three percent; The probability of becoming infected with a bite there is around 1:50. The researchers find out where these natural foci are from infected patients. Anyone who walks the same route with their dog every day can usually easily identify the location of the infection.
What are typical symptoms of a TBE infection?
The symptoms are initially unspecific: fever and headache can also indicate summer flu or a flu-like infection. “With a TBE infection, severe headaches and a high fever usually occur again two weeks later. Then the viruses are also in the brain or spinal cord,” says the expert.
How often does a TBE infection go undetected?
It is only recently that antibodies that the body produces after a TBE vaccination can be distinguished from those caused by an infection. The ratio of reported cases and those detected by antibodies is approximately 1:7. This means that the vast majority of infections remain undetected.
New species of ticks are constantly spreading here. Does this increase the risk of infection?
“Through citizen science projects, we know that the immigrant riparian forest tick in particular is much more widespread and common than previously thought,” says Mackenstedt. Although alluvial forest ticks rarely transmit the TBE virus to humans, they live as larvae and nymphs in the burrows of rodents and pass the virus on to the animals there. Native ticks – the wood ticks – can in turn pick up the virus from such infected rodents and then transmit it to people.
Can animals also become ill from a TBE infection?
New studies show that horses, dogs and farm animals can also become infected with the TBE virus and become seriously ill.
Tick year 2024: The current TBE risk map from the Robert Koch Institute shows, marked in blue, all districts in which infections with the TBE virus have occurred frequently in recent years. In principle, you can become infected with TBE in all districts marked in white.
© RKI
Where are ticks particularly common?
Ticks like it moist, which is why they are usually more common and active in forests than in the home garden. When dry, they retreat to shady, moist places. Basically, says Mackenstedt: “As soon as you leave the house, you can become infected.”
Can I become infected with TBE anywhere in Germany?
With climate change, ticks and with them the TBE virus are spreading further and further north. Although most infections are still registered in southern Germany, “basically the whole of Germany is an endemic area,” emphasizes Mackenstedt. In this respect, the distribution maps sometimes create a false sense of security. You can also become infected in areas that are not designated infection areas according to the RKI.
How do I best protect myself?
Well-known repellents that can be sprayed on or rubbed in are suitable for repelling ticks, as they mask the body’s own odor that is tempting for the arachnids. However, the best protection against infection with the TBE pathogen is to check for ticks after spending time outdoors. Even better is the mutual inspection by your partner or a family member – even in places that you cannot clearly see yourself. If a tick has already bored into the skin, it can usually be easily removed using a tick card or tweezers. It’s best to then disinfect the bite site with a standard disinfectant spray, because ticks transmit a host of other pathogens in addition to TBE and Lyme disease.
How high is the vaccination rate in Germany?
“In Austria, around 80 percent of people are vaccinated against TBE infection, but even with a vaccination rate of 50 percent, the rate of new infections drops significantly,” says Mackenstedt. In Germany, the vaccination rate is only around 17 to 25 percent, depending on the federal state. “Parents often underestimate the risk to their children; they can also become seriously ill with TBE.”