Welcome to the website of the research group on ticks and tick-borne diseases!
Next to this website, you can also find us on YouTube, Twitter and ResearchGate.
Möchten Sie diese Website lieber auf Deutsch lesen? http://zeckenforschung.at/
Tick analysis
We do not analyse ticks for medical reasons. Analysing ticks for pathogens is not medically relevant because a negative result does not guarantee that pathogens have not been transmitted. Even if a tick tests positive for pathogens, it does not necessarily mean that an infectious dose has been transmitted to the host. Therefore, screening ticks for pathogens does not provide reliable information for medical purposes.
Remember to check for ticks after spending time in nature. If you find a tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin as possible and pull it straight out with a steady motion. It’s normal to see a small red swelling during and after the tick bite. This will go away within the next few days. However, if you notice the rash getting larger or experience symptoms like fever or headaches after the tick bite, it’s important to see a general physician and inform them about the tick bite.
Hyalomma ticks in Austria
Lately, there has been a rise in the number of reported cases of Hyalomma ticks (“Riesenzecke”) being discovered in Austria. Our team is dedicated to investigating these ticks further. If you happen to come across one, kindly take a photo of it and send it to zecken@meduniwien.ac.at. Additionally, please make sure to safely collect the tick in a container that it cannot escape from and send it to:
Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology
Research Group on Ticks and Tick-Borne Microorganisms
Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090 Vienna, Austria
Hyalomma spp. ticks
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Two new publications
We are excited to announce that we have published two new manuscripts with our cooperation partners:
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Molecular Typing of Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ixodids of Bosnia and Herzegovina
With our colleagues at the Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine in the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology at the Medical University Vienna, we published a new paper. In this article, we analysed and typed tick-borne pathogens within ticks collected in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Of the analysed ticks, 22.1% were positive for at…
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Two new publications
Firstly, with our cooperation partners, we wrote a review about the immunomodulatory effects of tick saliva. This can be read in the article “Ticks’ tricks: immunomodulatory effects of ixodid tick saliva at the cutaneous tick-host interface“. Secondly, we published another review describing the considerations for comparing studies and literature regarding borreliosis diagnostics: “The choice of…
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Open position: PhD student
Are you interested in research on ticks and tick-borne pathogens? We currently have an opening for a PhD student. The application deadline is April 30th, 2025. For further details:
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Funded project: Alternative methods for tick rearing and infection models
We are honoured and excited to announce that the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of Austria (BMBWF) and the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) have funded our project, “Alternative methods for tick rearing and infection models” (https://doi.org/10.55776/PAT8439224), which focuses on the replacement, reduction and refinement (3Rs) of laboratory animals in studies related to ticks…
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Ticks and their pathogens in urban and peri-urban areas of Kosovo
We are excited to have a publication, “Zoonotic Tick-Borne Pathogens in Ixodes ricinus Complex (Acari: Ixodidae) From Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Kosovo“, with our cooperation partners at Molecular Parasitology of the institute for specific prophylaxis and tropical medicine, center for pathophysiology, infectiology and immunology at the Medical University of Vienna. In this paper, ticks…
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New Manuscript Publication
We are happy to announce the publication of our new manuscript: Optimising Transformation Efficiency in Borrelia: Unravelling the Role of the Restriction-Modification System of Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii The paper discusses our research on how Borrelia species defend themselves against viruses (bacteriophages). Borreliae and other microorganisms identify their own DNA by marking it with…
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Two new projects granted
We are thrilled to share the news that two new projects have been accepted – “Improving surveillance of zoonotic pathogens associated with bats in Central Europe” and “Assessing an artificial tick feeding system as a tool in the study of Borrelia-tick interactions“. The projects are expected to generate valuable insights that can help prevent the…
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Attendance grants for ITPD2023
We are thrilled to share that ESCMID has granted us attendance grants for the International Symposium on Tick-Borne Pathogens and Disease, ITPD 2023. ESCMID members can apply for these grants at:https://www.escmid.org/profession_career/awards_grants/attendance_grants/attendance_grant_application
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Tiny ticks, large risks
Starting spring, and continuing through summer into autumn, is a hectic time for us as tick researchers. It is high tick season, and we often collect ticks for our surveillance studies and other research projects. You will recognise us by our big white flags in search of ticks: Currently, all life stages of ticks can…