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Should we be afraid of ticks in the parks of the metropolis of Lyon?
Since 2019, a team of researchers from Inrae and VetAgro Sup has launched, with the help of local authorities, a study on the presence of ticks in three green spaces in Greater Lyon: the Tête d'Or park, the de Parilly and the park of Lacroix-Laval.
According to the first results of this research, the density found in the intra-urban parks of the metropolis seems very low: 0.1 tick per 100 m2 in the Tête d'Or park, 0.02 tick per 100 m2 in Parilly .
You have to move away from Lyon towards Marcy l'Étoile and its Lacroix-Laval park to find a higher value of 10 ticks per 100 m2.
However, these figures are relatively low since, for comparison, the tick density on a natural control site was evaluated at 99 ticks per 100 m2 over the same period.
Each point corresponds to a search area over which a white sheet has been drawn for 10 meters.
If it is green, no ticks were found.
The red, yellow and purple dots correspond to several varieties of ticks.
Questing tick abundance in urban and peri-urban parks in the French city of Lyon
“It
remains to be confirmed, but the presence of ticks is conditioned by several factors.
You need forest, but also an abundance of food fauna because to survive they have to gorge themselves on animals that are most often wild and especially deer
," says Magalie René-Martellet, one of the researchers behind of publishing.
In addition, certain conditions are favorable to the presence of ticks in nature, continues the veterinary doctor: “
The good window for ticks is a temperature between 12 and 25 degrees and a humidity greater than 50%.
They don't like it when it's too cold, too hot or too dry.
They are therefore more active in spring and autumn.
»
What are the risks for Lyme disease?
The study was initiated by the communities because the presence of ticks worries in France and in Europe.
These small insects are the first vectors of disease on the Old Continent and in particular of Lyme disease.
Also called Lyme borreliosis
, the latter would be present on 14.5% of ticks in the Rhône department according to a 2003
study
.
possible that he is a carrier of the Lyme disease agent
, ”says Magalie René-Martellet.
In the Rhône-Alpes region, there have been between 54 and 317 cases per 100,000 inhabitants each year since 2009.
Ticks are also carriers of other diseases such as anaplasmosis or tick-borne encephalitis
.
What to do in case of a bite?
In the wake of the first results published by the research team, signs have been installed in Lacroix-Laval Park to warn of the presence of ticks and to give instructions in the event of a bite.
“
Already, what must be said is that zero risk does not exist.
If you get bitten, you must remove the tick with a tick remover and avoid pressing on it, as this can cause an ejection of saliva which contains the pathogens”
, explains the researcher.
The latter knows the subject all the better as it is not uncommon for researchers in her field to be stung during their observations.
“
Yes it happens, but if it is removed with the right method and during the day the risk of transmission of a pathogen is very limited because there is a latency time between the bite and the transmission”,
details she.
Tick bites are generally painless and do not scratch, so it is advisable to check your skin after a walk in nature, especially when the weather is conducive to the presence of ticks.
In addition, research in the city's parks has continued every year since its inception and has even been extended to twelve other locations.
A new publication should take place in 2023.
