The giant tick Hyalomma marginatum, typically found in warmer climates, is making its way into Austria, hitching a ride in an unexpected mode of transport: cars, scientists have revealed.
This worrying trend has been detailed in the specialist journal Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases, which flags concerns for public health due to the tick’s ability to transmit the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and various spotted fever variants that pose risks to humans.
In May and June 2024, Austria’s health and food safety agency AGES received reports from several individuals who had found these ticks in their cars after returning from Croatia, the closest region to Austria where Hyalomma ticks are common.
One tick even travelled as far as Vienna, discovered by a holidaymaker who had been staying in Zadar on the Dalmatian coast. Upon returning to Vienna, they found the tick in their car and sent it to the AGES laboratory, where it was confirmed as Hyalomma.
AGES has expressed concern about these incidents, as tick nymphs – the penultimate developmental stage of this blood-sucking parasite – usually reach Austria via migratory birds. These nymphs require a blood meal and time to mature into adult ticks.
In contrast, the ticks examined in these cases were adult males and females, increasing the likelihood of mating and establishing a new population in Austria.
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