Bad Nauheim (dpa/lhe) – Because of the few frosty days in January and February, there are already more ticks in southern Hesse. “Ticks become active again from a temperature of seven degrees Celsius,” explained Markus Stifter from the Hesse State Hunting Association to the German Press Agency. The state hunting association therefore recommends wearing long trousers in nature and spraying the shoes and trouser legs with anti-tick agents. The body should be checked closely after walks and dogs and cats should also be checked for ticks when they come from outside.
Last year, the Robert Koch Institute classified ten cities and districts in Hesse as risk areas for an infection with TBE (tick-borne encephalitis), which can be transmitted by ticks. According to the state hunting association, the eastern and south-eastern districts and the district of Marburg-Biedenkopf are particularly affected.
According to the State Hunting Association, the spread of exotic tick species is also an increasing health risk for humans and dogs. The brown dog tick and the giant Hyalomma tick are spreading more and more in Germany. This increases the risk of becoming infected with pathogens of rather rare diseases such as typhus.
