Due to the unusually warm weather of recent weeks, the first ticks are already on their way. Exotic species are also becoming more widespread due to climate change. To improve monitoring, an interactive drawing map will be created for Austria and other EU countries.
For example, the exotic giant tick that appeared in Austria a few years ago comes together with migratory birds, says Georg Shower of the Agency for Health and Food Safety (AGES) on Thursday in the morning newspaper Ö1. Recently the summers have been too short and too wet for further development. It can already be seen that the giant tick is also looking for a host in the autumn.
“That means there is a certain trend that this climate change will bring us new species of ticks.” The giant tick can transmit bacterial diseases or the virus that causes Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, it was said. These pathogens have not yet been found in ticks in Austria, but they have been found in Italy and France.
Always keep an eye on the location
To better monitor the situation in the future, Douche is working on setting up a tick monitoring system. Until now, the data came from random reports from the population, from TBE diseases or selective research projects, and a general overview was lacking. In the future, an interactive map should show: “For example, the tick season starts now and which areas are now affected.”
To this end, data should be systematically collected as part of an EU research project, including through a citizen science project in which citizens report and submit ticks so that they can be examined for diseases.
In addition to Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Greece are also involved, it was said on Thursday. According to the expert, there are no longer truly tick-free areas in this country, not even in the higher regions. So you have to protect yourself everywhere.
Source: Krone
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