Russia, Following COVID-19, Wild Ticks Spread... Activity Period Accelerates Due to Global Warming

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] As the number of confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Russia surpasses 200,000 and the spread continues, damage from 'wild ticks,' which have started their activity earlier than usual due to global warming, is also increasing.

According to the Russian state news agency TASS on the 11th (local time), the Moscow branch of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer rights protection, welfare supervision, and quarantine authority, reported that 291 residents have recently been bitten by wild ticks. In the Primorsky Krai region, the number of people bitten by wild ticks reached 686, of which about 30% are minors under 17 years old who are vulnerable to diseases.

In Russia, the active period of wild ticks is generally known to be between May and July, but recently, due to abnormal weather phenomena caused by global warming, this period is gradually moving earlier. Wild ticks are known as vectors of infectious diseases that transmit dangerous illnesses such as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome (SFTS) to humans.

Russian health authorities stated that out of 1,257 ticks examined recently, about 164 ticks were found to carry Borrelia bacteria, which causes Lyme disease. Lyme disease initially shows symptoms similar to influenza, and if untreated, the infection can spread through the bloodstream to other parts of the body, causing chronic arthritis, heart disease, and neurological disorders.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.