Should you be concerned about ticks in Singapore? Study calls for greater vigilance
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SINGAPORE — Hidden in leaf litter near wildlife corridors, a poorly known threat to public health lies in wait for hikers, cyclists and dog owners frequenting Singapore's green spaces. These spots are ideal for bead-size parasites called ticks, which can tShould you be concerned about ticks in Singapore? Study calls for greater vigilance
SINGAPORE — Hidden in leaf litter near wildlife corridors, a poorly known threat to public health lies in wait for hikers, cyclists and dog owners frequenting Singapore's green spaces. These spots are ideal for bead-size parasites called ticks, which can transmit diseases as they latch on to humans and feed on their blood. While Singapore does not require doctors to report tick bites or tick-borne diseases, a recent study has learnt that all 11 species of ticks found to have bitten humans in the island-state between 2002 and 2023 are capable of carrying one or more harmful microbes. «If Singapore is going to be a city in nature, it needs to manage the parasites that come with the wildlife,» said Hokkaido University parasitologist Mackenzie Kwak, the lead author of the study by researchers based in Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and Saudi Arabia. The paper, published on Jan 17, found that the gilded boar tick (Dermacentor auratus), named for its propensity to feed on wild pigs, had caused more than half of the 51 reported tick-bite cases between 2002 and 2023, making it the most medically important of Singapore's native ticks. Read more
