Tick-borne Encephalitis Cases Increase due to Global Climate Change

As global temperatures increase, tick-borne illnesses are surging in prevalence. Public health officials urge that people take extra precautions when outdoors to protect themselves. The United Kingdom has seen a one degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit) increase in temperature within the last 30 years, which has been identified as the cause for increasing tick lifespan.

Ticks typically do not survive for more than a few days in low temperatures. However, the recent warming of colder months is activating earlier tick life cycles and allowing a near year-round survival. This poses as a significant risk to both humans and animals, as the increase of tick population creates more opportunity for disease. The most commonly associated tick carrying disease is Lyme Disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which attacks the nervous system and primarily affects the joints and heart. Due to the ever-changing climate conditions, ticks are evolving to carry more life-threatening diseases, the most fatal being tick-borne encephalitis or TBE for short. Encephalitis is medically described as swelling or inflammation of the brain, which also targets the immune system.

TBE is mainly found in Europe and in parts of Asia, with virus subtypes varying by region. Only 10% of TBE cases develop into severe and irreversible damages, including cognitive issues such as confusion and loss of coordination, difficulty speaking, seizures, and weakness in the limbs. In less serious cases, the initial symptoms can disguise themselves as common flu symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, and weakness in the body.

The main concern circulating around TBE is the difficulty to detect the disease before it becomes severe in symptomatology. With a significantly higher increase in diagnoses stemming from global temperature changes, public health officials declared this an epidemic by viral type in select countries and urged that people seek medical attention if they experience these symptoms following any outdoor activities.

By Maya Yorks