Where is an encephalitic tick found?

Where is an encephalitic tick found? - briefly

The tick that transmits tick‑borne encephalitis lives in wooded, shrub‑covered and meadow habitats across temperate Europe and northern Asia, especially in countries such as Germany, Sweden, Russia and the Baltic states. It is most common at forest edges and in high‑grass areas where it feeds on small mammals and humans.

Where is an encephalitic tick found? - in detail

The tick species that transmit tick‑borne encephalitis, primarily Ixodes ricinus in Western Europe and Ixodes persulcatus in Siberia and parts of East Asia, inhabit temperate and sub‑arctic zones where dense vegetation provides shelter and hosts.

Geographic distribution includes:

  • Central and Northern Europe: Germany, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Baltic states, Poland, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom.
  • Eastern Europe and the Balkans: Russia (western regions), Belarus, Ukraine, Romania, and the former Yugoslav republics.
  • Siberian and Far‑Eastern Russia: the taiga belt from the Ural Mountains to the Pacific coast.
  • East Asia: northern China (Heilongjiang, Jilin), Mongolia, Korea, and Japan’s northern islands.
  • Isolated foci in the Caucasus, the Balkans, and parts of the Middle East where suitable habitats exist.

Typical habitats are mixed and coniferous forests, forest edges, shrublands, and meadow‑forest ecotones. The ticks thrive at elevations up to 1500 m where humidity remains above 70 % and leaf litter is abundant. Seasonal activity peaks in spring and early summer for nymphs, and in late summer to autumn for adult stages, aligning with the activity periods of small mammals and deer that serve as blood‑meal sources.

Environmental factors that favor presence:

  • Moderate to cool temperatures (10–20 °C) during active months.
  • High relative humidity to prevent desiccation.
  • Abundant host populations, especially rodents (Apodemus spp., Myodes spp.) and cervids (Capreolus capreolus, Cervus elaphus).

Human exposure risk correlates with outdoor activities in these environments, particularly hiking, forestry work, and agricultural labor during the tick’s active periods. Preventive measures focus on personal protection and habitat management in the listed regions.