The Generalitat states that tick pest “is not a problem” for public health

The Public Health Agency of Catalonia (ASPCAT) “does not consider that an increase in the number of ticks can constitute a public health problem in Catalonia,” according to an official source of this agency aDSCRIBED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH In response to the information published in Primicia by The avant -garde On the acceleration of the tick pest Hyalomma Lusitanicuma potentially carrier of serious diseases in humans such as Crimea-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

ASPCAT justifies its “not considering” position that the plague of H.lusitanicum be a problem by stating that “we must think that one thing is that it can increase its number [de garrapatas] And another is that they are infected with a disease that can affect humans. ” “Additionally [consideramos que]the tick minced is rare and easily avoidable, ”says the official source of the ASPCAT.

The Generalitat has not carried out any study on the presence of H.lusitanicum In Catalonia and does not plan to do any specific research or modify the strategy followed to date, that is, the one that has applied to the set of tick species. Consequently, despite the acceleration of the plague of H.lusitanicum, The Generalitat will continue to strictly comply with the provisions of the National Plan for the Prevention, Surveillance and Control of Vector Transmitted diseases, prepared and coordinated by the Ministry of Health, as indicated by the ASPCAT. It should be remembered, in this regard, that unlike other communities, Catalunya does not have its own prevention, surveillance and control of diseases that can be transmitted by ticks, mosquitoes and similar vectors.

Read too

Agustín Estrada-Peña, Professor of Zoonoses at the University of Zaragoza, advisor to the Ministry of Health and co-author of the two studies carried out on the H.lusitanicum In Catalonia, he considers that the growth of this species is “surprising” and would require the attention of the Generalitat. “The Lusitanicum It is increasing a lot, and it is not the only one, you have to act; At least studies should be done to know what is happening. You cannot hide your head under the wing and say that it will act when the plague causes many human patients, ”says Professor Estrada-Peña. “Years ago it was thought that ticks were simply one bugs that chopped animals like our dogs, now it begins to understand that it is a public health problem to take into account, let’s hope that the Generalitat also understands it like this.”

This co -author scientist of studies on H.lusitanicum In Catalunya, made together with the Pest Expert Carlos Pradera, explains that this species is not very aggressive with humans but “is a bridge” between species that can end up transmitting to humans very serious diseases such as crime-gauged hemorrhagic fever.

“The Lusitanicum infects wild boars, rabbits and cervids; And in fact, seropositive wild boars of this disease have already been detected in Catalonia, ”says Estrada-Peña. In addition, of the animals infected with Crimea-Congo through the Lusitanicum Another kind of tick can be affected, which is Hyalomma marginatum“And this is” wildly aggressive for humans. ” “So leaving the case for later and not doing specific studies, with which to know if it is necessary to act preventively, is not an intelligent attitude on the part of public health managers,” concludes Professor Agustín Estrada-Peña.

First map of ticks in Spain

The presence in Catalonia de la Taropata H.lusitanicum It was unknown to the experts until 2013 but in 2022 – in the first study on this species – specimens were located in 31 municipalities of Barcelona and Tarragona and in 2024 the accumulated figure amounted to 101 municipalities affected by what can now be considered as a plague.
The data of these two scientific studies published in the Butlletí of the Catalan institution d’història natural (No. 88 (4); December 2024) coincident with the map of prepared ticks (2023) by the Gares Project (coordinated by the Ministry of Health).
The data of these two scientific studies are coincident, as regards Catalonia, with the tick map prepared by the GARES SURVEILLANCE GARES PROJECT that can act as vectors of diseases of importance to human health in Spain, funded with funds from the European Union and coordinated by the Ministry of Health). This map shows that the two communities in which (in samples of 2022-23) was discovered a greater presence of ticks, especially of the species H.lusitanicumthey were Andalusia and Catalonia.