
A pandemic… of ticks. The plague of Hyalomma lusitanicum has awakened alerts due to the speed with which it is spreading in Catalonia. Unknown until a few years ago in the territory, its growth has skyrocketed in recent times and could threaten to become a public health issue.
This parasite feeds on the blood of its victim and, although its bite does not cause acute pain, it is worrying because it can transmit serious diseases such as Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis or relapsing fever, among other affectations.
Why does the tick spread?
The reasons for its expansion are, on the one hand, the favorable climatic conditions, with a heat that favors its expansion.
On the other hand, the abundance of host species, such as rabbits and wild boars, whose populations are out of control in towns like Gavà or the whole Collserola mountain range, favor its expansion.
More than 55 municipalities affected in Barcelona
While in 2022, the presence of H. lusitanicum was limited to 31 municipalities, mainly in the province of Barcelona, a recent study published in the Butlletí de la Institució Catalana d’Història Natural reveals that in December 2024, the tick had already been detected in 81 municipalities: 55 in the province of Barcelona (28 of them in its metropolitan area) and 26 in Tarragona.
So far, individuals of this species have been detected in the following municipalities of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona: s: Badalona, Barcelona, Badia del Vallès, Barberà del Vallès, Begues, Esparreguera, Gavà, Lliçà d’Amunt, Martorell, Mataró, Montmeló, Montornès del Vallès, Palau-Solità i Plegamans, El Papiol, Polinyà del Vallès, Premià de Dalt, Ripollet, La Roca del Vallès, Rubí, Sabadell, Sant Adrià del Besòs, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Sant Feliu de Llobregat, Sant Quirze del Vallès, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Santa Perpètua de la Mogoda, Santa Coloma de Cervelló and Viladecans.
How to avoid their bite and what to do if we are bitten?
Ticks usually hide in natural areas among tall bushes, dry leaves and tree trunks. Therefore, to protect yourself from tick bites, it is recommended to avoid areas with abundant undergrowth during excursions, stay on marked trails, wear long pants, long sleeves and closed shoes, apply mosquito repellent and perform thorough body checks after outdoor activities, paying special attention to the head, neck and body folds.
It is also advisable to keep an eye on pets such as dogs when we go for a walk with them in areas potentially infected by this tick.
If we find a tick , the Generalitat de Catalunya recommends to remove it quickly and go to a health professional to avoid complications.
In the same way the consellera de Salut, Olga pané, denies that ticks represent a public health problem at the moment for Catalonia, has explained that it is “rare” that ticks bite people and, in case of doing it, that they transmit some disease and has invited the Catalans to continue walking in the mountains and carrying out activities in the forests.