Disco love and risk of tick: an exciting summer mix!

Disco love and risk of tick: an exciting summer mix!

In today's society, the disco still plays an important role in getting to know each other. This will be discussed on Monday, July 14, 2025, at 9:05 p.m. on the program "Topic" on ORF 2 and on ORF on by Christoph Feurstein. The documentation illuminates various aspects, including nostalgic memories and the current importance of discos. Doris and Manfred Cziszer remember their first kiss 30 years ago in the now closed "Flamingo" in Rechnitz. Daniel Mairoll, operator of "Johnny's Disco" in Oberndorf near Salzburg, comments on the central role that Discos take on a partner search. Gerhard Janser also conducts surveys under old and young to grasp the current relevance of the disco.

Another part of the program is devoted to a serious topic: the risk of tick bites and the resulting danger from TBE (early summer meningoencephalitis). According to reports from kosmo.at, the disease has already brought 25 people in Austria to hospitals this year. This could be due to the increasing tick population, which is partly favored by climate change. In 2023, a total of at least 50 people in Austria had to be treated for TBE, a situation that, due to the high vaccination rate of about 85%, remains stable.

ticks and their consequences

The role of ticks as a transmitter of dangerous diseases should not be underestimated. In Austria, these are often associated with Lyme Borreliosis and TBE. The statistical evaluation of health data shows that in the previous year 158 hospitalizations were recorded based on TBE, which is the third highest level of the last decade. The measures taken also include a new monitoring project called Survector, which starts from 2024. This nationwide program will not only monitor ticks, but also mosquitoes in order to draw attention to new pathogens at an early stage.

The geographical distribution of the TBE cases shows that Upper Austria is most affected with nine infections, followed by Styria with five and Lower Austria with four illnesses. This could also be related to the high number of ticks that were transmitted to the AGEs by June 20, 2023: over 2,650 teeth were sent in, which is almost twice as much as in the entire previous year. The main part of these ticks belongs to the genus Ixodes, also known as a common wooden goat.

prevention and vaccinations

Despite the significant increase in TBE cases, the vaccination rate remains high in Austria. The Ministry of Health recommends vaccination for the entire population, since all of Austria is considered a TBE risk area. There is an effective vaccination that has contributed to significantly reducing the number of diseases in recent years. Before the introduction of vaccination campaigns, the annual number of TBE cases was between 300 and 700, while it has decreased to between 41 and 216 cases in recent years.

Information on the discoculture and the health risks of ticks are therefore closely linked: While the disco has traditional acquisition as a place to get to know each other, the increasing frequency of tick bites is a serious challenge.