The tick bite exposes you to the risk of contracting various infectious diseases, including Lyme Borreliosis and tick-borne meningoencephalitis (or TBE). These parasites become infected by feeding on the blood of animals carrying pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, protozoa, etc.) and, through subsequent meals, they are able to convey them to new guests, including humans.
In Italy, ticks, as carriers, can mainly transmit Lyme disease, tick-borne meningoencephalitis (TBE) and Mediterranean throbbing fever.
Lyme disease and TBE are transmitted by the forest mint ( Ixodes ricinus ), which loves the beds of dry leaves and the damp and shaded wooded areas. This parasite is present mainly in Trentino Alto Adige, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia (to a lesser extent in other regions) and attacks mainly in the spring-summer period.
Bottonosa fever, on the other hand, is transmitted by the dog tick ( Ripicephalus sanguineus ) and prefers hot-dry climates, therefore it is commonly found in the central-southern regions.
