Ticks in Germany: Experts with surprising findings on TBE cases

Created: 03/10/2022, 16:40

By: Julia Cuprakova

The temperatures are rising and with it the danger of being bitten by a tick.

Because the number of ticks is increasing, the TBE diseases caused by ticks are declining significantly.

An expert explains.

At the moment the weather in Germany and especially in Baden-Württemberg is showing its best side - and the temperatures are slowly but surely climbing up.

However, not only people are happy about the beginning of spring.

All sorts of insects are also becoming active again, including ticks.

In Germany, ticks are spreading primarily in higher-lying regions – there, more and more people are suffering from the tick-borne meningitis TBE.

And yet experts record significantly fewer TBE cases in Germany.

But how can that be?

echo24.de reports on this.

Ticks in Germany: Experts with surprising findings on TBE cases

Ticks are particularly active in spring and summer.

The Auwald tick is spreading in Germany and can be dangerous for dogs and other animals.

Because the "Buntzecke" - as the Auwald tick is still called - can transmit the so-called babesiosis, also known as dog malaria.

If the disease is not treated quickly, it is usually fatal.

But a sting can also be dangerous for humans and, according to the latest findings, transmit TBE.

TBE stands for tick-borne encephalitis.

There is a vaccination against TBE, but not against Lyme disease, which is also transmitted by ticks and occurs much more frequently.

This is nationwide.

Most TBE infected remain free of symptoms.

But in severe cases, this viral disease can lead to encephalitis and damage the spinal cord.

Tick ​​experts presented new research results on Tuesday (March 8) at a press conference at the University of Hohenheim in Stuttgart.

Accordingly, TBE diseases are increasingly being registered at altitudes of 500 to 700 meters, as reported by the

.

The researchers assume that the ticks are becoming increasingly too warm in the lower-lying areas.

"Ticks get too uncomfortable in valleys," said biologist Rainer Oehme from the Baden-Württemberg State Health Office.

Ticks can transmit diseases - TBE diseases have decreased significantly

Despite the rapid spread, the number of cases of TBE registered nationwide fell significantly last year - even though, or perhaps because of this, the experts warned of ticks and TBE being a year in 2021.

According to current data from the Robert Koch Institute, the number of infections fell from 712 to 417. However, it fluctuates significantly from year to year, depending on the weather and leisure activities, among other things.

Surprisingly, the number fell in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg in particular, even though most people still get TBE there.

In contrast, no decline was recorded in federal states located further north, such as Saxony and Lower Saxony.

TBE is spreading more and more in northern Germany, said Gerhard Dobler, head of the National Consultation Laboratory TBE at the Bundeswehr Institute for Microbiology in Munich.

"Flying tick": The deer louse is spreading in Germany

If you want to minimize the risk of being bitten by a tick, you should avoid the typical habitats of arachnids.

Ticks prefer to live in sparse forests, forest edges and areas with tall grass or bushes.

However, this does not protect you from ticks or tick-like insects in particular.

Because: In the meantime, the deer fly – “flying tick” – is also native to Germany.

The deer louse fly is between five and seven millimeters in size.

In contrast to the tick, the deer fly has wings and can fly - it is therefore more mobile and faster than a tick and has a large selection of hosts.

After landing, the deer aphid breaks off its wings and finds a suitable place to bite faster than a tick.

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