Novosibirsk scientists named the proportion of infectious ticks

Novosibirsk scientists who study tick-borne infections have published data on the proportion of ticks infected with viruses and bacteria dangerous to humans. Carriers of the tick-borne encephalitis virus are the least common, but the overall picture is alarming.

The winter of 2023-2024 was quite mild: there were few periods of severe frosts, and the thickness of the snow cover was near normal. Biologists say that in such conditions the ticks overwintered well, and so far there are no factors that would indicate a decrease in their numbers.

“Currently, two types of ticks are found in Novosibirsk and its environs: the taiga tick (Ixodes persulcatus) and the Pavlovsky tick (Ixodes pavlovskyi). “They are both carriers of infections dangerous to humans,” said an employee of the laboratory of insect pathology at the Institute of Systematics and Animal Ecology of the SB RAS Galina Chicherina. – At the same time, they prefer different weather conditions: one needs it to be humid, the other needs it to be drier. Therefore, even knowing the weather forecast regarding precipitation, we cannot confidently predict a decrease or increase in the total number of ticks. The only thing that can be said is that if the temperature is below zero, the tick will most likely sit and bask on the forest floor, and the likelihood of encountering one is low. If the temperature is above zero, there will be ticks.”

“According to epidemiologists, in our region, humans are also attacked by meadow ticks (Dermacentor reticulatus), which can be found in dachas, parks, forest edges and clearings, where it is warmer and drier than in the forest,” added the head of the laboratory Molecular Microbiology Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS Nina Tikunova.

Not every human encounter with a tick leads to infection and development of the disease. But given the number of infections that ticks carry, the risk is quite high.

“Our research shows that in Novosibirsk and the Novosibirsk region, tick infection with tick-borne encephalitis virus averages 3-6%. Infection of ticks with borrelia, which causes Lyme disease (borreliosis), is 29-33%, and borrelia, which causes new borreliosis Miamotoi, is 8-10%. Infection with rickettsia ranges from 2% to 30% depending on the type of tick,” reported BFM-Novosibirsk NinaTikunova.

Methods for preventing tick-borne infections remain unchanged: vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis, acaricidal treatment of areas and compliance with standard recommendations when entering the forest area.

Previously, BFM-Novosibirsk reported that in a week ticks bit 60 people in the Novosibirsk region.