Is Luxembourg at risk of tick-borne encephalitis?
Erik Karits, Unsplash
Ticks are inconspicuous inhabitants of forests, gardens and meadows, capable of transmitting dangerous diseases. The best known is Lyme disease, but increasingly the focus is on tick-borne encephalitis (MEVE), a viral inflammation of the brain and membranes. In 2023, 600 hospitalisations and 9 deaths were recorded in Germany, especially in the Saar and Rhineland-Palatinate regions neighbouring Luxembourg.
According to the Ministry of Health, no localised infections have been reported since 2019, when MEVE became a notifiable disease. The only person who became ill in 2023 was infected while travelling to Eastern Europe.
Why is the virus avoiding the country? Firstly, the vectors - ticks Ixodes ricinus - although they live in Luxembourg, have not yet been infected with the virus. Secondly, as zoologist Alexander Weigand of the National Museum of Natural History explains, intermediate infected hosts such as rodents have not entered the country. The Moselle River creates a geographical barrier, limiting migration.
However, virus entry cannot be ruled out. "The first case will inevitably happen, it's just a question of when," says Weigand. The most important thing is to ensure that there is no centre of infection where the virus can gain a foothold and reproduce through the tick population.
Since April 2025, the European OH4Surveillance project has been collecting ticks once a month at 41 sites in Luxembourg to study the temperature, humidity and structure of the environment. More than 1,200 individuals have already been caught. According to virologist Judith Hübschen of LIH, testing for viruses and bacteria, including MEVE, will begin later this year.
The researchers want to create a geographical and seasonal risk map to predict where and when an infected tick bite is most likely to occur. This will allow rapid warning of the population and action to be taken if the virus appears.
Since 2016, the Ministry of Health has been conducting regular campaigns about the risks of tick bites - through social media and outdoor advertising. New seminars are also planned, including at CHL. Last year, 12 cases of borreliosis were registered, and in April a new study of immune response to bites was launched.
Scientists warn: even if MEVE has not yet penetrated Luxembourg, ticks carry many other threats and should be taken seriously.
