Annoying leeches active – mild weather lures ticks out of hibernation

We no longer know what a truly freezing winter can feel like,” says the chairman of the Styrian Nature Conservation Association, Johannes Gepp. And the mild temperatures we are currently experiencing also have an impact on flora and fauna. This means that the ticks, which would otherwise have had a winter break in the cold, are active.

Dog owners have already recognized this: “Recently in Leibnitz, ten of the swampy caterpillars had to be stolen by a four-legged friend,” says Gepp about a response he received. We as people also have to pay more attention – in Germany, for example, 24 people became ill with TBE in January (!). “We already had a case in Upper Austria,” says Gepp.

Especially because many people are lulled into a false sense of security: “85 percent of Styrians have been vaccinated at some point,” says Gerhard Kobinger, vice-chairman of the Chamber of Pharmacists, who knows the facts. “But at most sixty of them are actually sufficiently protected.” The major vaccination campaign started on February 1; There is no rush. Kobinger: “Since the pandemic, vaccination fatigue and skepticism have increased enormously. While the share of opponents of vaccination used to be three to five percent, the share of skeptics has now risen to almost a third.” The country’s vaccination campaign, in which the cost of the shot is 20 percent lower than the normal price, will last until August. 31st.

Sting does not protect against Lyme disease
The vaccination protects “only” against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), but not against Lyme disease, which is also so feared because the symptoms can be diffuse (a red ring around the bite site is typical, but not obligatory) and can resemble the summer flu, but symptoms often don’t appear until years later and can be difficult to diagnose. If you suspect anything, see a doctor immediately; antibiotics help.

Many people experience a false sense of security because they rarely go into the woods; The bloodthirsty creatures also lurk at foot or knee height, often on blades of grass, where they allow themselves to be swept away by their victims, from hedgehogs to humans. There are 17 native ticks, the best known being the common wood tick and the alluvial forest tick. And a new, large one will also become increasingly a problem, the Hyalomma.

Gepp: “It was introduced from Africa and now comes to us with tourists and migratory birds. So far it has not transmitted any diseases. It becomes problematic if it can overwinter here because of the mild season.” The relatively large animal not only lurks, but even runs after the victims. Gepp: “No sprints of course, but people sitting on tree trunks or picnicking on the grass can quickly cover half a meter.”

After a bite, ticks should be pulled straight out with tweezers.