Germany, Kosovo unite against ticks carrying deadly virus

The Hyalomma tick, known as the "great hunting tick," is a formidable predator capable of spotting prey from up to 200 meters away. Unlike most ticks, it actively chases its victims, making it a threat to both animals and humans. This tick, native to Africa, Asia, and southern Europe, has been spreading northward due to climate change and has now been found in Germany and Eastern Europe. Kosovo, in particular, has become a hotspot for the tick.

The Hyalomma tick carries the Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus, a highly pathogenic disease with a high fatality rate. Symptoms of the disease are similar to those of Ebola fever or the Marburg virus, causing internal bleeding and potentially leading to organ failure. However, not all Hyalomma ticks carry the virus, and many people bitten by an infected tick do not become ill.

Kosovo's veterinary expert, Kurtesh Sherifi, became interested in the virus after reading about 11 infected individuals and five deaths in his homeland in 2005. Despite limited resources, Sherifi sought help from Germany's Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine. Virologist Petra Emmerich, who is also a reservist in the German military, joined the research in 2009. Together, they established a structure to monitor the spread of the Hyalomma tick and the virus in Kosovo.

In 2013, their joint work received funding through the German Biosecurity Program. Public awareness campaigns, conducted by Sherifi and Emmerich, focus on educating farmers about the risks of tick bites and the importance of using tick repellents, long pants, and sturdy shoes. The researchers conduct seroprevalence studies using blood tests to determine if humans or animals have been exposed to the virus.

Despite a significant drop in serious infections in Kosovo over the past decade, the researchers warn that the ticks and the virus may spread further in Europe.