The cool and wet spring slowed them down, but now they are active and ready to bite. “So far we have had about the same number of reports as last year. But I assume that the trend of recent years will continue and that ticks will spread further in Tyrol,” Dr. Gernot Walder summarizes. Evidence already exists at altitudes of up to 2000 meters.
The East Tyrolean specialist in infectiology and tropical medicine has been monitoring ticks for years, about which hunters, forest rangers and other volunteers provide him with data. Walder now wants to institutionalize the monitoring. “It is conceivable that we can develop an app that accurately reflects the regional distribution,” says Walder.
Leeches are active until late autumn
According to Walder, regional distribution has developed rapidly in recent years. “We already have evidence of mountain pastures about 2,000 meters above sea level,” says the doctor, pointing to a consequence of global warming.
The second: the tick season does not end in September as it used to. “It is more November today. We have already documented activities in the Lienz basin in winter,” explains the East Tyrolean.
So far, 18 indigenous tick species have been described in Austria, not all of which infect humans. Exotic specimens are also brought in again and again. Just like the giant tropical tick. This was first discovered in Austria in 2018. Walder has no records in his database. Giant ticks will probably also appear in Tyrol, he says. However, the expert does not yet see the risk of it settling and spreading.
More than 300 TBE cases in Tyrol since 2009
Even without new species, the leeches cause a lot of nuisance. According to the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES), more than 30 percent of the tick species most common in our latitudes are infected with Borrelia. The bacteria can infect the nervous system in humans and cause enormous disorders there. There is no vaccine against Lyme disease, but there is a vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), which can be fatal in the worst cases. More than 300 cases of TBE have been recorded in Tyrol since 2009, eight of which occurred in the first half of 2022.
Check daily and remove ticks quickly
This put Tyrol at the top of the statistics, only in Upper Austria there were more cases. Doctor Walder mentions two important countermeasures: the TBE vaccination and, after a trip to the countryside, a full-body scrutiny to quickly remove the leeches. The ticks stay close to the ground on blades of grass or on dead wood and are swept away on contact!
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
