Overview
- Regional media and local sources reported an exceptional rise in tick numbers around Zadar and on the island of Vir in early June, with field crews and residents collecting unusually large numbers of ticks during HRT reporting.
- Officials and clinicians say the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is widespread near coastal vegetation and can carry Rickettsia that cause Mediterranean spotted fever while dogs face risk of babesiosis.
- Several people sought medical help after bites during the outbreak but no severe human cases from the coastal cluster have been confirmed so far.
- The Bernhard‑Nocht‑Institut has warned tick‑borne infections can cause serious complications such as encephalitis and myocarditis, and the German Red Cross recommends long clothing, repellents, staying on cleared paths, and checking bodies and pets after outdoor activity.
- Public‑health bodies link the expansion to warmer, changing conditions and say the surge could affect tourism and veterinary care while inland reports from earlier this year documented serious Borrelia cases, including a child.