UK Heatwaves Fuel Tick Survival: Disease Risk Rises

Disease-carrying ticks are surviving longer in the UK due to recent heatwaves, a specialist has warned. Previously, cooler temperatures prevented hyalomma ticks from reaching full maturity. However, in heatwave years, these ticks can now moult into adults, a development that UK health authorities are observing more frequently.

These hyalomma ticks are the primary carriers of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, a potentially severe and life-threatening condition. While rare, the increased survival rate of these ticks, which occasionally arrive on migratory birds from Africa and the Mediterranean, raises concerns about emerging climate-sensitive diseases.

Beyond the hyalomma tick, milder winters and hotter summers are broadly influencing tick activity in the UK. This shift means ticks can remain active throughout milder winter months and are more prevalent during extended hot, dry summers, altering their typical seasonal patterns.