In France, it is worth keeping an eye out for “giant” ticks, which are twice as long as existing ticks and can transmit diseases such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.
The tick is called Hyalomma marginatum. This is in contrast to the tick Ixodes ricinus, which is found in most of France and is the main vector of diseases such as Lyme disease.
Read more: Beware: Tick Bites Can Lead to Lyme Disease, Says Survivor
By the end of May, the tick Hyalomma marginatum had been detected in 11 departments, reported Public Health of France (SPF).
They are:
Alpes-Maritimes
Ardeche
Aude
Bouches-du-Rhône
South Corsica
Drôme
guardian
Haute-Corse
Herault
Pyrénées-Orientales
Var
Read more: Where in France you are most affected by Lyme disease ticksRead more: MAP: Discover the regions of France that suffer the most from ticks
Hyalomma ticks are local to Africa and Asia and arrived in France with birds on their migration from Africa. They have been present in Corsica for several decades and were first reported in France in 2015, on the Mediterranean coast.
They have a tendency to be active from spring to fall and to spread disease by biting an inflamed host (animal or human) and then biting another. They are known to bite animals such as goats and cows, whose raw (unpasteurized) milk can then transmit the disease.
The main disease is Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (FCHF). The World Health Organization states that fever causes a mortality rate of 10 to 40 percent.
“In October 2023, for the first time in France, the Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus was detected in ticks of the species Hyalomma marginatum extracted from farm animals in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Corsica,” states the SPF.
But so far “no human cases have been diagnosed in France. However, the severity of the infection has already been demonstrated,” says the SPF.
By contrast, Spain has recorded several “autochthonous” cases every year since 2013, with some deaths (“autochthonous” means that the cases originated in Spain and were not only known to other people who had traveled to an identified threat area).
In 2023, the ANSES (French Agency for Food, Environmental and Safety at Work) called for the status quo of a national surveillance formula for Hyalomma ticks, to more precisely control their spread.
CCHF causes symptoms such as fever, chills, and digestive upsets and, in rare cases, serious complications with out-of-control bleeding that can lead to death.
The main tip for avoiding tick bites is the same as for your smaller cousins.
He understands:
Be alert for tick bites when in brush spaces, fields, trails, crops, orchards, and vineyards.
Wear light-colored clothing that covers your legs and arms to get a better look at the tick.
Wear closed-toe shoes
Regularly check your body, as well as that of children and pets, for tick symptoms.
Public Health France said other people rely only on repellents.
He adds: “As skin repellents have limited effectiveness, they should not be used as a substitute for the preventive measures mentioned above. “
Read also: Lyme disease: how to minimize the presence of ticks on your lawn in France
You can buy special tick removal “tweezers,” which remove the tick without crushing it (as this can make the bite worse). You can also use a pair of thin tweezers to remove the tick quickly.
Remove the tick by crushing it
Disinfect the bite and take a photo of the bite.
Be alert for any symptoms of illness, CCHF (above)
If symptoms appear within about 14 days, see a doctor, tell them about the bite, and show them the photograph.
Bites caused by Lyme disease tend to form a circular rash, while CCHF causes symptoms within a few days.
A French administrative official would possibly request such a document.
Natural crisis is certain by examining ancient records, researchers say
So far, investigations into the imaginable origin have been unsuccessful. Carbon monoxide poisoning, food poisoning, and air pollutants were excluded.