Ideal weather conditions Forest rangers warn of increase in ticks in Germany

Düsseldorf · Warm, dry summers and mild winters: The current climate provides perfect conditions for ticks to reproduce. Experts are warning about an increase in the tick population - and about the so-called super tick.

Ticks on trousers, T-shirt, and shoes - after just a half-hour walk in the woods. Nature lovers, dog owners and parents dread the thought of exactly this. But doctors and forest rangers say it could come to that this summer. "The past year was very warm and sunny with relatively little precipitation," says Dietmar Altrogge, head of the regional forestry office Siegen-Wittgenstein. He is responsible for the largest forest area in NRW. The last time these conditions existed was in 1947. "These are the best conditions for insects and the result is that they have all been able to reproduce rapidly and to develop further - including the tick”.

Doctors are observing this development with concern, because ticks can be carriers of Borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis(TBE). Unknown and untreated, Lyme disease can lead to chronic damage to the heart, nerves and joints. TBE is a disease that can also affect the meninges, membranes that line the skull and protect the central nervous system. However, it is not only the domestic tick species that are likely to have increased significantly. Doctors warn that some ticks could migrate from warmer climes and bring serious diseases with them.

Vaccinations recommended

This includes the so-called super tick. It is five times larger than its native counterparts and can carry a dangerous disease. Its proper name is Hyalomma tick. Originally it is at home in Southern Europe, Africa and Asia. It can transmit the Crimean-Congo virus, which can cause hemorrhagic fever. This causes bleeding all over the body. "This tick species could enter Germany," said Ute Mackenstedt, parasitologist at the University of Hohenheim.

The best protection is provided by wearing long, light-colored clothing when walking through the forest, and there are also repellants. Anyone who is frequently out in nature or lives in an area with lots of ticks should also be vaccinated against TBE.

Orig. text: Susanne Hamann
Translation: ck

Meistgelesen
Neueste Artikel
Zum Thema
Aus dem Ressort