Hyalomma Marginatum Dangerous giant tick arrives in German-speaking Switzerland by car
The Hyalomma tick continues to spread in Switzerland. Now it has also arrived in the canton of Zurich. It can transmit the deadly Crimean-Congo fever.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- The Hyalomma tick, originally from Africa, Asia and southern Europe, is now also native to the canton of Zurich and is actively hunting its hosts.
- The giant ticks presumably reach Central Europe via cars from Southern Europe, as cases of return travelers from Croatia show.
- The tick can transmit the life-threatening Crimean-Congo fever, which has a mortality rate of up to 50 percent.
Hyalomma ticks are up to two centimetres long, have eyes and actively pursue potential victims. Having already arrived in Ticino, it is now also said to be at home in Zurich.
The giant Hyalomma Marginatum tick normally lives in North Africa, Asia and southern Europe. As an overview by the European health authority ECDC shows, they are particularly present in Ticino. They have also already been introduced in the canton of Zurich, as "20 Minuten" writes.
What is worrying, however, is that the giant tick actively hunts and does not choose its hosts at random. It can detect its prey from a distance of up to nine meters.
The tick came to Central Europe by car
Experts from Austria have now discovered that the giant ticks reach us by car. As "20 Minuten" writes, several people are said to have reported to the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety in May and June that they discovered these ticks in their car during their return journey from Croatia or after returning home.
The disease that the tick can transmit is also dangerous. It can transmit the deadly Kim Congo fever. Up to 50 percent of those affected die as a result of the fever.
About three to nine days after infection, symptoms such as headaches, high and persistent fever, diarrhea and vomiting occur - in severe cases, internal bleeding can occur, which ultimately leads to organ failure.
