Should one be afraid of the large Hyalomma tick?
The Hyalomma Tick is noticeably larger than other tick species. It is a hunting tick - that is, it pursues humans over several hundred meters. It can transmit the agent of tick-borne fever. What is the risk of encountering Hyalomma ticks in Germany? And what awaits at a bite?
Giant tick, hunting tick, monster tick: What you read about Hyalomma ticks makes one hope that one will never encounter these creatures. And in fact: The probability of encountering them here is very low. As Ute Mackenstedt from the University of Hohenheim explains. Why that is and what else you should know about the Hyalomma tick.
What does a Hyalomma tick look like?
The most striking feature is their size, up to two centimeters long. Hyalomma ticks are therefore significantly larger than the Common Wood Tick, the most common tick species in this region.
Notable features of the Hyalomma tick, in addition to their size, are their legs. "The body is dark brown, but the legs are more orange-colored and have these yellow or beige bands," describes Mackenstedt, who heads the parasitology field.
How does a Hyalomma tick behave?
In a nutshell: quite differently than our native ticks, which are considered ambush ticks. The Common Wood Tick, for example, crawls on grass. "It waits there in essence quite motionless, until someone comes by and brushes it off," explains Mackenstedt.
Hyalomma ticks, on the other hand, are hunting ticks. They hide in cracks or under stones and only appear when they actively search for a host. "The name Hyalomma means 'glass eye'. The tick can therefore see us - and then actively approach us," says the researcher.
The animals can detect warm-blooded creatures from a distance of up to ten meters with their eyes or their chemical senses and pursue them over several hundred meters. "Many who have had contact with a Hyalomma tick report that they initially take it for a spider because it moves so quickly," says Mackenstedt. As a host, the tick primarily seeks large animals: cattle, horses - or humans.
Where might I encounter this tick?
In Germany, the probability is low. However, one must know that Hyalomma ticks mainly find their way here via migratory birds - from dry regions in Africa, for example. On the birds, says Mackenstedt, sit larvae or nymphs. They feed, fall off, and must then molt to become adult ticks.
However, this only succeeds under certain conditions, where high temperatures and long dry periods are decisive. "It is not to be expected this year that we will have Hyalomma ticks in Germany. Because we have a lot of rain, which stops this development," says Mackenstedt. It is still unclear whether Hyalomma ticks will one day become native to Germany.
However, it is possible to encounter the tick while on vacation - for example, in the Mediterranean region. "They appear in Portugal, Spain, and Italy again and again. But even there, the question is whether they can establish themselves," says Mackenstedt. By the way: One Hyalomma species - Hyalomma marginatum - is widely distributed in eastern European countries such as Slovenia and Croatia.
What diseases can Hyalomma ticks transmit?
You can transmit a specific bacteria carrier, which can cause tick-borne disease known as Lyme disease. However, according to Mackenstedt, this is one of the "nicer" Lyme disease bacteria carriers, which can be effectively controlled with antibiotics. Not every Hyalomma tick carries this bacteria.
The transmission of Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, which can be fatal, is much rarer. "We have not yet detected these viruses in any Hyalomma tick sent to us in Germany," says Mackenstedt. However, there are occasional reports of transmissions in the Mediterranean region. Your assessment: "The risk is not zero, but virtually negligible."
What should I do if a Hyalomma tick bites me?
"You do exactly what you would do if a common wood tick bit you," says Ute Mackenstedt. That means: Use a tick removal card or tweezers to carefully remove the tick. With Hyalomma, as with other ticks, the faster they are detected and removed, the lower the risk of leaving disease carriers in the body. Therefore, it is always sensible to check the body thoroughly for ticks after stays in the green.
Despite being larger and possessing the ability to actively seek hosts, encounters with Hyalomma ticks in Germany are rare due to unfavorable climate conditions. However, vacationers in the Mediterranean region may encounter these ticks, but their ability to establish themselves there is unclear. Regarding diseases, Hyalomma ticks can transmit Lyme disease bacteria, although the risk is relatively low, and fatal viruses like Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever are extremely rare in Germany. In case of a Hyalomma tick bite, the removal process should follow the same procedure as for a common wood tick.
