Overview
- In North Rhine-Westphalia, NABU says ticks are active earlier after a mild winter and notes there is no true winter pause anymore.
- Hesse recorded 25 cases of tick-borne FSME in 2025, up from 10 the year before, as local clinicians report risk across more months of the year.
- The Robert Koch Institute lists 185 high-risk districts for FSME nationwide, with Solingen the only designated area in NRW.
- Warmer-climate species such as the meadow tick and the sheep tick are appearing more often, signaling a continued range shift.
- Health advice stresses FSME vaccination for people in risk zones, long clothing and body checks after outdoor time, washing clothes at 60°C, and prompt tick removal, while a Pfizer–Valneva Lyme vaccine remains in clinical trials.