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Ticks more prevalent in Switzerland

Friday, 9 October 2026 06:35

Ticks are moving to higher altitudes in Switzerland, with researchers now recording them at up to 2,300 metres

The Davos-based Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research gathered more than 900 reports this summer, finding ticks almost everywhere below 1,400 metres and still present, though rarer, above 2,000.

Farmers also reported finding them on cattle on Alpine pastures over that height. Scientists blame climate change — warmer temperatures are opening up new habitats.

More fieldwork is planned from 2027 to see whether high-altitude ticks carry the same diseases as their lowland cousins.

 

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