Germany, Kosovo unite against ticks carrying deadly virus
Climate change is enabling the Hyalomma tick, a carrier of the deadly Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, to migrate from warmer regions into Germany and Eastern Europe. Researchers are collaborating across borders to study and mitigate the threat of this zoonotic disease.
Why it matters
The expansion of disease-carrying vectors due to climate change poses a growing public health risk in regions previously unaffected.
The Hyalomma tick prefers warm, dry conditions and, thanks to climate change, it is increasingly finding these further north Image: Fabian Sommer/dpa/picture alliance It can spot its prey from up to 200 meters (about 650 feet) away - but unlike many of its fellow species, it doesn't lurk in the grass waiting for its victim to come closer. Instead it runs after it, chasing animals and humans alike.
The Hyalomma tick, often called "the great hunting tick," was previously found mostly in Africa, Asia, and southern Europe. But climate change means it can now survive further north and it has already been spotted in Germany and various Eastern European countries. Kosovo, in southeastern Europe, has been a hot spot for the tick for some time now.
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