Tick-borne diseases

Alkhurma haemorrhagic fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease reported mainly in Saudi Arabia. Transmission is through tick bites and contact with infected blood.

Babesiosis is an illness caused by a parasite, which infects and destroys the red blood cells. The disease is transmitted mainly by ticks, vector in Europe is mainly Ixodes ricinus.

Borreliosis/Lyme disease is transmitted by the bite of infected ticks. Most cases can be treated with antibiotics. No vaccine is available.

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever is an emerging pathogen in Europe. Outbreaks have a case fatality rate between 5% and 40%. There is no validated therapy and no safe vaccine.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) is a tick-borne infection caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a small bacterium infecting typically neutrophils transmitted by Ixodes ticks.

Rickettsiosis/rickettsioses are a group of diseases generally caused by species of Rickettsia. Most of the Rickettsioses are transmitted by ticks.

Tickborne encephalitis (TBE) is a viral infectious disease that attacks the central nervous system and can result in long-term neurological symptoms, and even death.

Tick-borne relapsing fever is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected soft ticks. The disease is characterised by relapsing or recurring episodes of fever, often accompanied by headache, muscle and joint aches and nausea.