Ticks themselves do not cause disease but if a tick is infected with a virus or bacterium, then that pathogen can be transmitted through the tick’s bite and cause disease in humans.
Ebola viruses and Marburg virus are classified as biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) pathogens and require special containment and barrier protection measures, in particular for people taking care of infected patients or bodies.
Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is endemic in the Balkan region and a few sporadic cases are reported on a regular basis. In the WHO European Region, Turkey remains the country that is most affected. The main vector for Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, the tick Hyalomma marginatum, has a wide distribution in Europe.