Disease-carrying ticks are coming for us and they're likely to hang around longer too
Tick-borne disease risks are on the rise globally, according to the European Commission's environment directorate. Their increase is one of the many ways in which
climate change
is altering our world.
Changes to temperature, rain, and sunlight, particularly in winter, can make a big difference to a tick's ability to thrive. Extra sunlight in January is one of the most influential factors in its ability to flourish.
Changes to land use and human-animal interactions are also contributing to why more of these tiny creatures are on the way, says the Chinese research cited by the European Commission this month.
READ MORE
These researchers have modelled where harmful disease-carrying ticks are likely to thrive in the future as climate changes.
[
Ticks, respiratory illnesses, skin cancer and poorer mental health 'all on the rise due to climate change'
Opens in new window
]
The highest-risk regions for future expanding tick colonisation in Europe include France, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and the UK, according to the research.
Indeed, about 50 per cent of land in the UK and 95 per cent of land in Spain offers habitat classed as being of medium-high suitability for ticks, the research says.
A rise in disease-carrying ticks will have health implications for all of us. If tick ranges continue to expand, so too will the risk of tick-borne diseases.
Ticks feed on the blood of humans, animals and birds. Like some sort of vampire game show, they go through four life stages, each requiring a blood meal from a host to graduate to the next level. Between hosts, ticks can spread some pretty serious diseases - so more of them isn't good news.
A bacterial infection called Lyme disease is probably the one most familiar to us in Ireland. About 5 per cent of ticks in Ireland are thought to carry the disease. Up to 400 people a year are estimated to be infected with Lyme disease in Ireland from ticks, according to the
HSE
.
Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose - not everyone spots it when they have been bitten by a tiny tick. The disease is no picnic - if left untreated, symptoms can include tiredness, aches, loss of energy, arthritis, neurological conditions such as facial paralysis and heart problems.
Climate change has already extended the peak season for ticks in Ireland, increasing the risk of Lyme disease and other diseases, according to research published by the Irish Medical Journal in 2022.
[
How to spot if your child has a tick bite and what to do
Opens in new window
]
You'll find ticks anywhere in Ireland, including in both urban and rural areas. They are more numerous and active from April to September.
'Anyone who spends time outdoors should protect themselves against tick bites,' Dr Paul McKeown, a public health consultant with the National Health Protection unit has said.
Ticks love an arm or leg, but any warm and sweaty parts not covered by clothing will do.
In children ticks are most likely to bite around the head and neck.
You can limit your risk of a bite by sticking to paths where possible, covering up with long sleeves and long trousers, especially when walking in wooded areas and using insect repellent with DEET, says the HSE.
'Preventing tick bites prevents Lyme disease,' says Dr McKeown.
Human behaviour is at the root of climate breakdown. Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and intensive agriculture are significantly increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
The greenhouse effect is trapping more heat and causing global warming. Overconsumption and unsustainable practices are contributing to the problem by increasing demand for energy, goods and resources.
We are already seeing the consequences of climate change starting to bite in our lives - more powerful storms are creating damage and knocking out power, heatwaves and wildfires are putting favoured package holiday destinations off limits, there is more flooding, less frost, more water shortages and more erosion.
Soon the consequences of climate change may actually be biting us in the form of more ticks.
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Irish Times
27 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Remembering thalidomide survivor Jacqui Browne: ‘She raised the bar for us every day of our lives'
Courageous, inspirational, intelligent, a fearless advocate, champion of human rights, voice for the voiceless, determined, full of devilment, immensely kind, funny and ferociously independent. Some of the words used to describe Jacqui Browne, who died peacefully at home on Monday, June 23rd , surrounded by her loving family. She was 63. Born in Tralee to Donal and Jean (née Boursin), Jacqui was one of five children and part of a loving, tight-knit family. Recalling her birth, her brother Donal J Browne said he could feel the palpable excitement and joy at this little bundle coming into our lives. 'She certainly raised the bar for us every day of our lives.' She was also one of thousands of babies affected by the thalidomide drug. READ MORE Thalidomide was prescribed to pregnant women in the 1950s and 1960s as a treatment for morning sickness. One of the worst medical disasters of our time, it led to horrific deformities and deaths in thousands of babies across the world. Many children of women who took the drug in pregnancy were born without limbs or with shortened limbs, hearing and vision impairments, and injuries to internal organs. Browne was born in November 1961, the same year and month that thalidomide was withdrawn from global markets. However, it would be nine months later, in 1962, when the drug was removed from the Irish market. There is also evidence to suggest that thalidomide was available in Ireland up to 1964 due to the State's failure to publicly announce the withdrawal of the drug. There are approximately 40 thalidomide survivors in Ireland, 28 of whom receive an ex gratia payment from the government. Born with impaired hands and forearms, Browne also suffered from bilateral hearing loss and a speech impairment. Her early childhood was taken up with tests and medical assessments. At the age of just five, she had the first of many surgeries on her hands, and orthopaedic procedures like these were to continue throughout her life. She was just five years old when she had to spend a year as a boarder at the Cabra School for the Deaf in Dublin, a long way from her family in Kerry. Speaking to The Irish Times last year, she said: 'It was my first big separation from my family. I am one of five children. So that had a big impact on me... but also on my siblings and obviously my parents. I wasn't there for the day-to-day rough and tumble of daily life.' After a year in Dublin, she returned to mainstream school in Kerry, where she remembers being treated 'very differently' from other children. [ 'A woman of conviction and compassion': Tributes paid to disability activist Jacqui Browne at funeral Mass Opens in new window ] Her early childhood, adolescence and indeed adult life were frequently interrupted by hospitalisations, medical interventions and numerous surgeries. In total, she had more than 35 big operations. These include 10 total hip replacement and reconstruction surgeries, spinal surgery, oral and dental procedures, cuff repair in her shoulder, left shoulder decompression procedures, shoulder replacements, cervical fusion and numerous surgeries on her feet and hands. Despite living with chronic pain throughout her life, she had a warm heart and a wide, infectious smile, and simply got on with things and found new ways to overcome the many challenges life threw at her. Like the time she was in a full body cast as a teenager and strapped her two crutches to the side of a Honda 50 to keep up with her friends. Despite breaking her hip during a boat race, she continued up the steep jetty, carrying the boat out of the water. And when she was advised by her orthopaedic surgeon to give up her beloved sailing or risk needing a wheelchair, she sailed across the Atlantic Ocean. A highly accomplished sailor, Browne was a long-time member and public relations officer of Tralee Bay Sailing Club. In 2010, she was a crew member aboard the Cork Clipper, Ireland's entry in the Clipper Round the World race. Jacqui Browne, who died at 63 On leaving school, she worked for AIB for many years before returning to university to study at night. She received a BA in Economics and Politics from University College Dublin and a Master's in Education from Trinity College Dublin. Browne had a keen intellect and dedicated her life to advocating for the disability sector . With more than 35 years of experience as a disability equality consultant, she worked at local, national, European, and international levels. She served as chair of the DPO Network – an alliance of five national organisations of disabled people working together to secure the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She was a member of the disability advisory committee of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC), the board of International Foundation Integrated Care and secretary of the board of the Independent Living Movement of Ireland. She was also a former member of the Commission on the Status of People with Disabilities (1993-96), whose report, A Strategy for Equality, was a blueprint for disability rights in Ireland. A dedicated patient advocate, Browne was actively involved as a patient advocate and representative with a range of organisations, including the Centre for Arthritis Research in UC , the Irish Platform for Patient Organisations, Science and Industry; and the HSE Board Committee on Patient Safety and Quality. Most of all, I loved her mischievous sense of fun and her absolute loyalty to friends and family — Dr Austin O Carroll In a statement expressing its deep sadness on her death, the IHREC said the commission had 'benefited hugely from her wealth and depth of over 30 years of experience as a disability equality activist and consultant. Her work was impactful and led to lasting change for disabled people in Ireland'. Liam Herrick, chief commissioner, said, 'Jacqui Browne was a courageous and tireless advocate for disability rights and equality. Her voice, wisdom and commitment shaped not only the work of this commission but also the broader landscape of human rights in Ireland. She brought lived experience, a deep understanding of policy, and a powerful clarity to every conversation. Her contributions advanced and shaped real and lasting progress for disabled people, and her legacy will continue to inspire and guide us.' One of her lifelong friends and fellow thalidomide survivor, Dr Austin O Carroll , remembers her as 'relentless, passionate, persuasive and unstoppable in her pursuit of justice'. 'I saw how she supported so many other groups facing exclusion, sharing her experience of advocating for justice. I saw the joy she got from sailing and the irrepressible determination to conquer the oceans despite her disability. I saw so many times in hospital beds unbowed by pain and immobility, but cracking jokes, and planning her next holiday. But most of all, I loved her mischievous sense of fun and her absolute loyalty to friends and family.' When Browne was 21, her father handed her a large folder filled with correspondence, medical records, forms, detailed notes, and meticulously kept files. He was not simply giving her a paper file; he was handing over the baton in the fight for justice for his daughter, which he had fought for 21 years. [ Thalidomide survivors' group demands proper apology from Government Opens in new window ] Together with the thalidomide community, Browne fought for decades for justice and a meaningful State apology for the immense toll thalidomide had had on their lives. After 63 years, Irish thalidomide survivors are still waiting. Speaking to The Irish Times last year Browne said: 'For me personally, if I could have closure, it would mean I can genuinely take this big cloud off from over my head.' Speaking at her funeral in Tralee, her brother Donal said: 'Today is not a day to criticise the government for its failures to the thalidomide community. It is not a day to criticise them for their failure to withdraw the drug in a timely manner, and it's not a day to criticise them for their failure to apologise or to make any acknowledgment of wrongdoing. Those are matters that will have to be dealt with at another time, and unfortunately, Jacqui's crusade of more than 40 years and my parents' crusade of over 63 years will have to continue and will continue on behalf of the thalidomide survivors.' He called on the Government to issue 'an apology and an acknowledgment' to thalidomide survivors and said that a healthcare package was 'urgently required'. 'We must all work together for truth and justice,' he said.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Disease-carrying ticks are coming for us and they're likely to hang around longer too
The ticks are coming for us. It was only a matter of time. Tick-borne disease risks are on the rise globally, according to the European Commission's environment directorate. Their increase is one of the many ways in which climate change is altering our world. Changes to temperature, rain, and sunlight, particularly in winter, can make a big difference to a tick's ability to thrive. Extra sunlight in January is one of the most influential factors in its ability to flourish. Changes to land use and human-animal interactions are also contributing to why more of these tiny creatures are on the way, says the Chinese research cited by the European Commission this month. READ MORE These researchers have modelled where harmful disease-carrying ticks are likely to thrive in the future as climate changes. [ Ticks, respiratory illnesses, skin cancer and poorer mental health 'all on the rise due to climate change' Opens in new window ] The highest-risk regions for future expanding tick colonisation in Europe include France, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania and the UK, according to the research. Indeed, about 50 per cent of land in the UK and 95 per cent of land in Spain offers habitat classed as being of medium-high suitability for ticks, the research says. A rise in disease-carrying ticks will have health implications for all of us. If tick ranges continue to expand, so too will the risk of tick-borne diseases. Ticks feed on the blood of humans, animals and birds. Like some sort of vampire game show, they go through four life stages, each requiring a blood meal from a host to graduate to the next level. Between hosts, ticks can spread some pretty serious diseases - so more of them isn't good news. A bacterial infection called Lyme disease is probably the one most familiar to us in Ireland. About 5 per cent of ticks in Ireland are thought to carry the disease. Up to 400 people a year are estimated to be infected with Lyme disease in Ireland from ticks, according to the HSE . Lyme disease can be hard to diagnose - not everyone spots it when they have been bitten by a tiny tick. The disease is no picnic - if left untreated, symptoms can include tiredness, aches, loss of energy, arthritis, neurological conditions such as facial paralysis and heart problems. Climate change has already extended the peak season for ticks in Ireland, increasing the risk of Lyme disease and other diseases, according to research published by the Irish Medical Journal in 2022. [ How to spot if your child has a tick bite and what to do Opens in new window ] You'll find ticks anywhere in Ireland, including in both urban and rural areas. They are more numerous and active from April to September. 'Anyone who spends time outdoors should protect themselves against tick bites,' Dr Paul McKeown, a public health consultant with the National Health Protection unit has said. Ticks love an arm or leg, but any warm and sweaty parts not covered by clothing will do. In children ticks are most likely to bite around the head and neck. You can limit your risk of a bite by sticking to paths where possible, covering up with long sleeves and long trousers, especially when walking in wooded areas and using insect repellent with DEET, says the HSE. 'Preventing tick bites prevents Lyme disease,' says Dr McKeown. Human behaviour is at the root of climate breakdown. Burning fossil fuels, deforestation, and intensive agriculture are significantly increasing greenhouse gas emissions. The greenhouse effect is trapping more heat and causing global warming. Overconsumption and unsustainable practices are contributing to the problem by increasing demand for energy, goods and resources. We are already seeing the consequences of climate change starting to bite in our lives - more powerful storms are creating damage and knocking out power, heatwaves and wildfires are putting favoured package holiday destinations off limits, there is more flooding, less frost, more water shortages and more erosion. Soon the consequences of climate change may actually be biting us in the form of more ticks.
Irish Times
a day ago
- Irish Times
Letters to the Editor, July 7th: On a disturbing silence, tests for medics and discerning dogs
Sir, – The recent RTÉ Investigates programme exposing failings in nursing home care was harrowing. Yet, perhaps even more disturbing was the silence that followed. Footage of vulnerable older adults crying out for help, ignored and neglected did not provoke widespread outrage. The two nursing homes in question remain open. This reflects a society that has normalised the neglect of vulnerable older adults. This is ageism. While the programme appropriately raised questions for Hiqa and the Government regarding standards, oversight and accountability, a deeper issue – the acceptance and tolerance of ageism – was largely ignored. READ MORE Ageism is not simply a cultural bias. It is a powerful driver of inaction and inequality. The recent Prime Time programme and the Ombudsman's Wasted Lives report rightly focused on the 1,200 adults under 65 living in nursing homes. This forces us to ask: at what age does loss of your autonomy and human rights become acceptable? For the 30,000 older adults in nursing homes, where is the public discourse over their lack of choice – about where to live, what to eat, or whom to welcome at the door? Let us be clear: for most, nursing homes are places of safety, compassion and appropriate care. But for many, entering a nursing home is not a real choice. It is the predictable outcome from a shortfall in rehabilitation services, community supports too rigid to meet individual needs, and a lack of accessible housing. Ireland has a legacy of institutionalising those whom society finds problematic to support. We cannot allow history to repeat itself. Poor standards in the care of older people are not unfortunate exceptions. They are the result of systemic, age-based discrimination. We must name this for what it is – and we must end it. Older adults are entitled to the same dignity, autonomy and human rights as anyone else. At every stage of life, people have the right to make choices, to be heard and to live and thrive. – Yours, etc, DR EMER AHERN, President, Irish Gerontological Society, DEIDRE LANG, Vice-President, Irish Gerontological Society, BIBIANA SAVIN, Irish Gerontological Society, CEO SAGE Advocacy, Cork (And seven others). Pass the parcel, wherever it is Sir, – Ciarán Hancock's interview with David McRedmond, the chief executive of An Post (' An Post has been brilliant. I've never been remunerated less and enjoyed a job more,' July 4th) reveals a shift in core business from letters to parcels, with the State-owned postal service having 'delivered just over a million parcels a week last year, with growth of 20 per cent in this space already this year'. Perhaps I am one in a million, but as I await an explanation from An Post, a parcel I posted by registered mail on May 19th this year has not yet reached its destination in Sweden. – Yours, etc, KEVIN McLOUGHLIN, Co Mayo. Sir, – The interview with David McRedmond was highly informative and interesting about how a legacy postal service has thrived. Key takeaways are that parcel volumes are up and letter volumes are down, and that the company has diversified into basic facilitation of cash services. This latter is an extremely useful service. Despite this increase in parcels, he wants to tweak the Universal Service Obligation. But, if delivery frequency is reduced, particularly in rural areas, will rival couriers poach its parcels business? – Yours, etc, PASCAL Ó DEASMHUMHNAIGH, Co Wexford. A discerning dog's life Sir, – Colm Keena's heartwarming account of the two labradors (An Irishman's Diary, July 4th) reminded me of our childhood pet, a miniature Scots collie called Prince. Sometimes, when the doorbell rang he never moved from his rough tufted mat in the kitchen. Other times, when the doorbell rang, he would bolt up the hallway to the door, at lightening speed, and bark frantically at the closed door. This only occurred when the caller was the local parish priest or a sister from the local convent. We posited that the dog's reaction was, no more than Colm's labrador, something to do with his breeding! – Yours, etc, CORMAC MEEHAN, Bundoran, Co Donegal. Liquid lunches Sir, – As a primary school principal enjoying the first week of my extensive summer holidays, last Thursday's (July 3rd) Opinion pages made for grim reading. Firstly, those said holidays came in for scrutiny in your editorial and then Finn McRedmond compounded the issue by lumping me in with the 'buttoned up, reliable, literal-minded types' rather than the class of rogues and ne'r-do-wells to which I aspire. I can assure Ms McRedmond and your editorial team that I intend to spend the summer wasting my time writing, being a hopeless romantic and for at least some of it living the life of a bourgeois bohemian among the louche Mediterraneans! Unfortunately, she somewhat proves her point by forcing me to correct the spelling error in the print edition, but a principal has his principles! – Yours, etc, JOHN KELLY, Bennekerry, Co Carlow. No planning for planning Sir, – The recent revelation that the population of the Republic has increased by over 30 per cent in the past 25 years will probably come as a shock to the body politic given the complete lack of housing, infrastructure and integration planning that we have seen in that period. From badly underestimating the number of people that would head to a buoyant economy in 2004 when we signed up for EU free movement with no serious analysis to recently not realising that post Covid would see a major surge of people here (quite apart from Ukrainians suffering invasion), nearly all seem oblivious to the downside of unrestricted immigration. Basically, services and wages end up under pressure as does housing supply, all of which feeds into a far right narrative that is gaining ground. We still await an updated integration strategy and waiting we will be it seems. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL FLYNN, Sutton, Dublin. Hpat and levelling the playing field Sir, – Seven years ago, The Irish Times published an article (' Why most Irish doctors in future will be white, female and middle-class, ' April 10th, 2018) describing how a particularly privileged section of Irish society looked set to dominate the medical profession, despite attempts over previous years to diversify entry to medicine. The most notable of such initiatives was the introduction in 2009 of the Australian Council for Educational Research's Health Professions Admission Test, or Hpat, which purported to 'level the playing field' faced by applicants for medical school places (and to produce 'better doctors' in the process). The Hpat was intended 'to assess skills deemed important for medicine, such as reasoning, problem-solving and interpersonal skills,' and 'while the 2½-hour test was initially envisaged as one which candidates could not study for, there (was) now an extensive private tuition industry where students can spend up to ¤800 over 15 weeks to prepare for the assessment'. It was of course utterly predictable (and predicted) that those who could afford such extra tuition would do so and, as your editorial (July 3rd) points out, affluence still has a distinct influence on access to a career in medicine. As a former clinician and director of postgraduate medical education in the UK and Ireland, I remain a non-believer when it comes to claims that the Hpat is a defensible source of added stress and expense in the Leaving Certificate year, or that it has produced more competent, compassionate or committed doctors than previous entrance assessments. In fact, one of the greatest sources of professional satisfaction during my clinical career was helping Irish medical graduates who'd been obliged to study abroad (eg in Prague or Plymouth, because they couldn'afford to 'get' the Hpat), to navigate their entry into the Irish health system, where they've so often become some of the best doctors it's been my privilege to know. I firmly believe that the Hpat is a non-evidence-based, politically inspired but profitable test, which has failed to create a demographic profile within the medical profession that reflects that of the population at large. If I could, I would prescribe a simpler and fairer combination of criteria for entrance to our medical schools: a reasonable number of Leaving Certificate points and a commitment to work for the first two years after graduation in the Irish health system. – Yours, etc, DR CHRIS LUKE, Cork. Sir, – I have been tutoring Hpat students in the Institute of Education since 2011 (I am a GP running a vasectomy business in Cork). I feel the discussion around the exam in recent days has missed the point. The existence of grinds and preparation courses is a natural consequence of any new test or application process, especially for something as competitive as medicine. The purpose of the Hpat initially was to reduce the importance of students scoring maximum points – something most achieved by attending grinds, and expensive study courses relating to traditional Leaving Certificate courses. The key difference with the Hpat and these other subjects is that the degree to which a student can improve their Hpat score is much more limited and is dependent on each student's intrinsic ability to solve complex problems. A student can significantly improve their performance in subjects such as accounting, history, physics, etc, through relentless practice and tutoring, this is not the case with the Hpat. Students tend to reach their own ceiling quickly with some tutoring/guidance, hence a short course over a day or two is often the most preparation students need for the Hpat. While it is not perfect, I do feel the Hpat has merit. The key benefit I see is that it actually reduces the impact and importance of grinds and expensive schools, hence giving students from a broader spectrum of society a better shot at getting into medicine. It has been repeatedly quoted in articles that '33 per cent of medicine students are from wealthy backgrounds, compared with 18 per cent of students overall'. However, this is a meaningless statistic in the absence of the same data prior to the introduction of the Hpat. This may well be an improvement. I would agree that more needs to be done to improve access to medicine for less advantaged students. However, I believe reducing the importance of the Hpat is a regressive step. Students who can afford preparation courses will still attend them, the key thing to remember is that the grinds and expensive courses are of much less benefit to them than a similar course for a standard Leaving Cert subject, and in turn this does level the playing field somewhat. – Yours, etc, DR COLIN IRWIN. Kinsale, Cork. State schools and admissions Sir, – I welcome the introduction of the single application pilot scheme later this year, particularly its recognition that State secondary schools should prioritise children living in their local area. However, our local secondary school currently gives no priority to local students. Instead, it operates a lottery system open to applicants from across the county – and even beyond. This approach ignores the needs of the community it is meant to serve. Since 2019, all newly established State schools have been required to meet local demographic demand and prioritise children from the surrounding area. It is unacceptable that this obligation does not apply to all existing State schools. The principle of serving the local community must be applied consistently across the country. It's time for the State to act decisively and ensure that every State school – not just new ones – is required to put local children first. – Yours, etc, SARAH LONERGAN, Dublin 9. An inspiring story Sir, – What an inspiring story in Weekend (' Me, Myself and Ireland: For four weeks, I was sleeping in St Stephen's Green, surviving on €1 a day .') Allen Bobinac is such an asset to Ireland, and so thoughtful when he refers to the three stages of 'empire' – the first generation builds, the second enjoys fruits of this, but also recognises the work that went into it. The third generation enjoys all the structures, but doesn't see the work. Is this when a sense of entitlement creeps in? And are many of us beginning to suffer from this? – Yours, etc, GILL McCARTHY, Shillelagh, Co Wicklow. Attacking seagulls Sir, – My family are being attacked by seagulls who are nesting and have chicks. The nest is on a flat roof of the house backing on to ours. For some reason the species is protected by European and national legislation. Seagulls are vermin and are dangerous to humans as they attack especially when with young, and also if people are eating out of doors. Their droppings are germ laden. Why in the interest of public safety is there a prohibition on culls? – Yours, etc, DES BOYLE, Dublin 5. Overrun by tourism Sir, – Shilpa Ganatra and Conor Pope point to 'overtourism ruining popular destinations' and advise to swap Santorini for Milos ('Even better than the real thing,' July 5th) . Milos, unfortunately, is currently experiencing precisely this level of overtourism. The mayor of Milos recently said: 'Soon our island will be covered in concrete, and we won't be able to handle basic services like water, waste, or traffic. We'll be left with nothing but cement.' – Yours, etc, RICHARD PINE, Corfu, Greece. Holding back bus transport Sir, – As someone who chooses to commute by Dublin Bus for environmental reasons, I find it increasingly frustrating that buses are often held at timing points – even when traffic is light – just to stay 'on schedule'. This is particularly noticeable during the summer months, when road conditions improve and buses could reach the city much faster. While I understand the need for consistent service, this practice penalises those already on board and undermines the appeal of public transport. At a time when many employers are encouraging staff back to the office, we should be making sustainable commuting more efficient – not less. – Yours, etc, GILLIAN LAWLESS, Co Wicklow.
