French health authority Santé Publique France has issued a warning about the presence of giant ticks in several départements in southern France.

The ‘giant ticks’ in question are of the ‘Hyalomma Marginatum’ variety, and they were first reported in the Occitanie region in spring 2015. 

The départements at risk include Aude, Hérault, Gard, Pyrénées-Orientales, Ardèche, Drôme, Bouches-du Rhône, Var, Alpes-Maritimes, and Corsica (both Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud).

They are primarily present on cattle and they can carry the ‘Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever’ (CCHF) virus, which is endemic in Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, according to the WHO.

The ticks can transfer the disease to humans, and it can cause fever, chills, and digestive problems.

According to Ouest France, 80 percent of people infected with CCHF will only have a mildly symptomatic infection, with flu-like symptoms or even no symptoms at all. However, the remaining 20 percent can have a severe form of the disease that requires hospitalisation and can sometimes be fatal.

The incubation period is two to 15 days.

How big of a problem is this in France?

It remains rare.

In October 2023, and for the first time in France, the CCHF virus was detected in Hyalomma marginatum ticks collected from cattle in the Pyrénées-Orientales and Corsica.

So far, there has only been one human case in France, but it was not a case of local transmission, as the person infected had been infected in Senegal. 

That being said, the virus has been detected in livestock in France, and the ticks that can spread the virus are now present in several parts of southern France.

In Spain, there have been 13 indigenous (local transmission, or autochtone) cases since 2013. 

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, an “estimated that three billion people are at risk of infection globally, and 10 000 to 15 000 infections – 500 of them fatal – occur every year.”

Currently, there is no antiviral drug available for treatment.

What do these ticks look like?

This species of tick is larger than the other species found in France, sometimes about double the size of a normal tick. Its legs are striped and it can reach 8mm as an adult.

You can see an image HERE.

European ticks are endemic across France and can transmit Lyme disease – between 25,000 and 68,530 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed per year over the period 2009-2020 in France, according to Santé Publique France. 

Prevention tips

Dress appropriately when outdoors in the spring and summer, namely in dry areas of scrubland, pastures, hiking trails, and fields, particularly those with crops. You should also take care when spending time with livestock.

Be sure to wear protective clothing that covers the arms and legs, as well as closed shoes. 

READ MORE: What you should know about ticks in France and how to avoid them

Otherwise, you can follow other prevention techniques, which include checking for ticks and showering shortly after coming inside after a day out. This can give you the chance to remove the animals before they bite, for example if you spot them on your clothes. Putting clothes in a tumble dryer for one hour should kill ticks.

Remember, too, to check pets, as they can become tick ‘hosts’ and bring them indoors.

Removal can be done with a special tick remover (available at most pharmacies) or tweezers. The important thing is making sure you remove the whole tick, by grabbing it as close to the skin as possible and pulling slowly. Then, disinfect and clean the bite. 

If any of the symptoms related to CCHF appear within 14 days, contact a doctor. If possible, bring an image of the initial bite.