Overview
- A 28-year-old man was treated at the University Clinic Bonn for neuroborreliosis after facial paralysis, with Borrelia antibodies found in his cerebrospinal fluid and a two-week antibiotic hospital stay.
- The Robert Koch Institute and local health offices report that ticks are spreading across Germany and have become active throughout the year because milder temperatures shorten frost periods.
- Authorities say tick-borne encephalitis (FSME) risk areas are expanding in southern Germany, there is no specific antiviral therapy for FSME, and vaccination is recommended for people living in or visiting risk zones.
- A Canadian trial found that covering hiking paths with wood chips halved trail tick counts and that adding a targeted insecticide nearly eliminated detectable ticks on treated sections, suggesting a low‑impact way to reduce exposure.
- Doctors urge rapid tick removal to lower infection risk once attachment exceeds about 12 hours, demand for FSME vaccination is high in clinics, and a Lyme (Borrelia) vaccine is reported to be in development but remains unconfirmed for end‑of‑year availability.