[REVISION HISTORY]

Escalating tick activity and disease risk

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-26 11:52 UTC → 2026-07-26 14:03 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Health agencies continue to warn that warm, humid weather is boosting tick activity and disease risk across Europe and North America. Guidance issued in late July 2026 stresses staying on trails, wearing long sleeves and pants, tucking trousers into socks, using DEET‑based repellents or permethrin‑treated clothing, and conducting thorough post‑outdoor tick checks. ~~Tick‑borne encephalitis (TBE)~~ In Europe, TBE cases surged in Sweden and the Czech Republic, ~~prompting accelerated vaccination programmes, while~~ Lyme disease cases doubled in ~~Bulgaria.~~ Bulgaria, and Lithuania ~~highlighted~~ reported expanding risk into urban green ~~spaces~~ spaces. Polish experts added a new focus on tick nymphs, noting their tiny size makes them easy to miss and ~~reiterated vaccination~~ that they frequent not only dense woods but also parks, gardens and lawns, prompting recommendations for ~~those aged 50‑60.~~ detailed body inspections after outdoor activities. In Canada, Ontario ~~reported a sharp increase in tick‑borne illnesses by mid‑July, with~~ recorded 651 Lyme disease cases, 89 anaplasmosis ~~cases,~~ cases and one Powassan virus ~~infection. Researchers linked~~ infection by mid‑July, attributing the rise to milder winters and a longer tick ~~season, allowing~~ season that have allowed blacklegged ticks to expand northward up to 34 miles per year. The province now classifies these illnesses as reportable to improve surveillance, ~~and continues~~ while continuing to advise tick checks and prompt removal as the primary preventive measures.

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