Federal states face persisting threat from ticks
In Germany's forests, meadows, and even gardens, ticks are becoming increasingly common - and with them the risk of infection. These small bloodsuckers can transmit harmful diseases such as Lyme disease, a bacterial infection, and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). The virus can cause inflammation of the brain membranes accompanied by seizures and paralysis, resulting in a coma. The most concerning fact is that the number of TBE cases in Germany is on the rise.
Ticks hide on grass near paths, in shrubs during hikes, or even in semi-shaded beds in your very own garden. With their bites, they can pass on severe ailments, including Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. The risks of these diseases are significantly increasing.
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), one reason for this surge is the rising temperatures. They create favorable living conditions for these arachnids, causing their population to explode. Parasitologist Lidia Chitimia-Dobler told Die Welt that mild winters help ticks. More mice, their primary breeding grounds, survive. Moreover, the tick season begins earlier in the year. In previous years, the tick season started around April. This year, active ticks were already spotted in January according to Chitimia-Dobler.
Apart from the warming temperatures, climate change also poses another threat. Experts predict that non-native tick species may spread even faster in Germany in the future. At the beginning of this year, researchers at the University of Hohenheim experienced a record-breaking tick invasion and an increase in TBE cases. However, where are people most vulnerable?
Most TBE cases occur in southern Germany. Around 85% of all cases are scattered between Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. The trend is steadily climbing. According to Rainer Oehme, a lab manager for the State Health Office in the Ministry for Social Affairs, Health and Integration for Baden-Wuerttemberg, earlier, they'd observe high TBE numbers in Baden-Wuerttemberg every three years. Since about 2017, a biannual rhythm has emerged. The numbers dropped from 2022 to 2023 from 565 to 475 disease cases, but this year is forecasted to be high in the southwest once again.
In Bavaria, the numbers are also significantly high. So far, there have been 14 TBE cases, as per the Bavarian State Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL), from January 1 to April 22. That's around 15% higher than the previous year at this time. The RKI considers 94 out of 96 districts and independent cities in Bavaria to be TBE risk areas. To qualify as a risk area, there must be many TBE infections compared to the population within a five-year period.
Furthermore, there are more "nature herds" in southern Germany than in the north. These are small, limited areas where many TBE-positive ticks dwell. "These areas can be the size of a football field," describes parasitologist Ute Mackenstedt at a press conference at the University of Hohenheim. "For example, in the Ravensburg district, we had eight such nature herds in 2007, and by 2023, there were already 25."
Ticks carrying TBE are also found in other regions of the Federal Republic. The RKI reports their presence in southern Bavaria, southeastern Thuringia, Saxony, and since 2022 in southeastern Brandenburg. Recently, two new risk areas have been identified: the districts of Frankfurt (Oder) in Brandenburg and Altenburg in Thuringia. TBE can also be found in central Hesse (district of Marburg-Biedenkopf), in the Saarland (Saar-Pfalz district), in Saxony-Anhalt (district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, city of Dessau-Roßlau), Rhineland-Palatinate (Birkenfeld), Lower Saxony (Emsland), and North Rhine-Westphalia (city of Solingen). A total of 180 districts have now been marked as TBE risk areas.
A piece of good news: FSME can be effectively prevented through vaccination. The vaccine is usually available from your family doctor. The Standing Vaccination Commission (STIKO) recommends it mainly for individuals who live in TBE risk areas, spend a lot of time in nature, or care for animals outdoors. Out of the 2023 reported FSME patients, 99% had not been vaccinated, or had been vaccinated inadequately.
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- To mitigate the risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), the Robert Koch Institute recommends vaccination, especially for individuals living in TBE risk areas, frequent nature visitors, or those who handle animals outside.
- The increase in TBE cases in southern Germany has led experts to notice a trend of biannual high infection numbers, with Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg being the most affected regions.
- Despite the presence of TBE in various Federal Republic districts, including Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, and Hesse, education about protective measures is crucial to prevent the spread of this infectious disease, which is mainly transmitted by ticks.
Source: www.ntv.de
