2024-04-19 05:33:20
The appearance of the giant tick in Luxembourg is causing some concern among experts and a study is planned to be carried out this summer in stables and farms in the Grand Duchy, as well as in Parc Merveilleux, in Bettembourg, according to RTL.
This species of tick, Hyalomma fringed, it moves faster than the common tick and can transmit serious and even deadly diseases, being known to transmit Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, a fatal disease in its most serious forms.
According to RTL, the Luxembourg Institute of Health (Luxembourg Institute of Health, LIH in its original acronym) intends to examine live specimens of this species to study the presence or absence of possible pathogens.
Three times larger than normal ticks
Alexander Weigand, zoologist at the Musée National d’Histoire Naturelle Luxembourg (MNHNL), confirmed to the broadcaster that the first giant tick was seen in the Grand Duchy six years ago.
This species is distinguished by its striped legs and body size, which can measure up to ten millimeters and be around three times larger than normal ticks.
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Since 2018, at least four more giant ticks have been removed from horses and a man in the Grand Duchy. They must have arrived in the country thanks to migratory birds, but due to the milder winters that have been recorded in the country, they may find the conditions to spread more easily, similar to what has happened in other parts of Europe.
2024-04-19 05:33:20