About twenty tick species have been found in Sweden, but around ten are here permanently. The most common tick is called the common tick. It occurs in large parts of Europe – and is spreading further north in Sweden, Finland and Norway in line with global warming.
– The absolute majority of ticks that go on humans are the common tick. Many of the other species live, for example, in pots and among the animals’ nests, says Anton De Jong, laboratory engineer at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute (SVA).
Ticks can be carriers of about twenty diseases, but the best known are Lyme disease and the TBE virus, the latter of which can cause encephalitis. TBE continues to increase but in most cases only produces milder flu-like symptoms.
– It is important that you are vaccinated and that you seek care if you develop symptoms.
The taiga tick is another relatively new tick in Sweden, which originally comes from the Russian taiga. It is increasing in distribution along the Norrland coast.
“You shouldn’t be worried”
In recent years, a handful of migratory bird ticks (hyaloma ticks) have also been discovered in the country. It has been called “dangerous to life” as in other areas it has been a carrier of infections such as Crimean Congo virus which can cause hemorrhagic fever. A disease with high mortality for which there is still no treatment or vaccine.
– We don’t think it will establish itself here in the near future, says Anton De Jong.
– However, there is another tick, the variegated dog tick, which is very hardy. It’s even more hardy than the regular tick, so it should definitely be able to establish itself.
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“We know that this virus is on the way up in western, northern Europe,” says virologist professor Ali Mirazimi, adjunct professor of virology at Karolinska Institutet, who is developing a vaccine against dengue fever virus that can be carried by migratory bird ticks. No case has so far been diagnosed in Sweden. Photo: Jimmy Kirvesmäki
Have you found a tick on yourself or an animal? Or seen someone who looks unusual? SVA collects information about ticks through the Report Tick toolwith the aim of increasing preparedness for new tick-borne infections.
SVA receives many reports from people who have found ticks, including bat ticks. “They look very different, like a round disc almost and have a beautiful pattern on the back. They are not unusual, but you rarely see them because they are not interested in people,” says Anton De Jong. Photo: Report Tick
Another species that has been reported is the blunt-nosed tick, which is found on Öland and Gotland. Photo: Report Tick