They looked at ticks in Warsaw. Here are the conclusions

Research was conducted by scientists from the University of Warsaw. The main author emphasized that the idea to look at the presence of ticks in Warsaw He was born of observations and reports of residents.

– They increasingly reported to us cases of bites by these animals in urban locations. So we chose several urban and several suburban areas and it turned out that the ticks are present in them, and in really large quantities – added Dagmara Wężyk, a PhD student at the Department of Eco -Epidemiology of parasitic diseases of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw.

The conclusions were presented in an article published in the magazine “Parasites & Vector”.

The study uses the flag method, consisting of dragging white, woolen material on the ground and counting how many arachnids remained on it. Tick ​​collections were carried out in 15 different locations, from mid -March to mid -June 2021.

– Some collections surprised us, because, for example, in the Botanical Garden of the University of Warsaw, at a distance of only 20-30 meters, we collected even 30 ticks. We recorded equally high numbers in the Łazienkowski Park and in a forest kindergarten in the Kabacki Forest – emphasized Wężyk.

Further analysis showed that two species were most common in Warsaw and the surrounding area: Ixodes ricinus (common tick) and Dermacentor reticulatus (meadow tick). The first of them is responsible for carrying Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia Burgdorferi) and other dangerous pathogens of people. In turn, a meadow tick rarely feeds on people, but it is a serious threat to dogs, because it is the main carrier of protozoa causing babesiosis – a potentially fatal disease.

Detailed molecular research has revealed that 14.3 percent tested ticks Ixodes ricinus It contained bacterial DNA of the genus Borrelia, and as much as 64 percent ticks Dermacentor reticulatus It was carriers of Rickettsia bacteria, which cause diseases manifested, among others fever, headaches and rash, and in some cases with serious organ complications.

One of the most important conclusions of the study was to confirm that the tick season starts earlier than it is widely believed. The meadow tick appears in March, just after the temperatures exceed Zero degrees Celsius, and is also active in winter, especially when it is mild. In turn, the common tick starts to attack a few weeks later, reaching the peak of activity in May.

– Many people think that ticks are the greatest threat between June and September. Meanwhile, our data show that we are exposed since March, and gentle winters additionally extend this season – noted Dagmara Wężyk.

The author of the research added that some Warsaw locations had a higher tick density than suburban areas. According to the scientist, the type of habitat is decisive.

– Ticks love lush vegetation, high grass, shrubs and moist places. That is why there will be many more in botanical gardens, parks that are not often mowed, allotment gardens and around water reservoirs – she emphasized.

The expert points out that despite the increasing presence of ticks in our environment, you should not panic, and just be careful. However, if a bite occurs, a quick removal of the tick is crucial.

– First of all, remember that it is not like that at the time of bite he will immediately give us dangerous bacteria. Only a certain percentage of ticks is their carriers. In addition, time is important – in the case of Lyme disease spirochetes, the minimum feeding period necessary for human infection is 24 hours. So if we remove the tick from our body within a day, then there is basically no risk of getting sick – said Dagmara Wężyk.