Overview
- - The Robert Koch Institute added Nordsachsen in Saxony and Halle (Saale) in Saxony-Anhalt to the FSME risk list, bringing the total to 185 districts in 2026.
- - Risk remains highest in southern Germany, yet infected ticks are now active farther north as their range widens.
- - Warmer winters are lengthening tick seasons, with experts in Hesse reporting more active common ticks and the arrival of species suited to warmer climates.
- - Germany’s vaccine panel advises FSME shots for people who live in or travel to risk areas because the virus passes to humans as soon as a tick bites and there is no targeted treatment.
- - Lyme disease can be transmitted anywhere in Germany but only nine states report cases, while recent figures show Hesse’s FSME cases rose to 25 in 2025 and 24 people nationwide died in 2024 from tick-bite consequences.