Ticks are now also found at 2000 meters above sea level

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• Ticks are now also found at altitudes of 2000 meters.
• The number of bites has increased by 15 percent.
• In Switzerland, one person dies from a tick bite every two years.

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Ticks can now be found at altitudes of up to 2000 meters above sea level in Switzerland. Their numbers have increased particularly sharply in areas between 500 and 1000 meters above sea level, as the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund announced today.

According to the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (Suva), tick bites have been on the rise since 2003. Between 2015 and 2019, the number of annual cases was around 13,000, rising to around 15,000 between 2020 and 2024.

This corresponds to an increase of 15 percent. According to Suva, there are eight disability pensions and one death every other year due to tick bites.

Climate change promotes spread

The fact that the tick population has grown so much in recent years is partly due to changing climatic conditions. Mild winters and longer warm periods mean that ticks remain active for longer and can spread to new areas.

Suva therefore advises people to protect themselves against ticks as early as spring. For people who regularly spend time outdoors, vaccination is a sensible protective measure.

Tick bites are becoming increasingly common due to mild winters and longer warm periods.

Archive image: Keystone

Diseases caused by tick bites include borreliosis and TBE, a viral infection that causes inflammation of the brain and meninges.

In addition to vaccination, there are other measures to prevent ticks, such as protective clothing, tick repellent, tick control and tick removal. A tick bite is considered an accident for insurance purposes.