Citizen science program helps find exotic ticks

Climate change is affecting not only our weather but also the distribution of parasites and the diseases they can carry. One example is the growing presence of Hyalomma ticks in parts of Europe where they were previously uncommon. These ticks are of particular interest because they can transmit Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), a pathogen that can cause serious, sometimes life-threatening illness in humans. Hyalomma ticks are typically found in warm and dry regions of Africa, Asia and southern Europe. However, they have increasingly been reported farther north, including in Central Europe.