As spring gives way to summer and Türkiye’s countryside turns verdant, a quiet danger begins to stir in the fields and forests: ticks. These small, bloodsucking arthropods, often no larger than a sesame seed, pose a mounting threat to public health.

Chief among them is Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), a viral disease The CCHF virus causes severe viral haemorrhagic fever outbreaks, with a case fatality rate of 10–40%.The disease is marked by symptoms ranging from mild fever to severe bleeding, organ failure, and shock.

Endemic across Africa, the Balkans, the Middle East and Asia, it is primarily transmitted via ticks and livestock, though human-to-human spread can occur through contact with infected bodily fluids.

There is no vaccine available for either humans or animals, and the disease poses a persistent threat. But Turkish officials remain optimistic.

In Türkiye, the fight against the CCHF causing ticks is not confined to labs and clinics. Increasingly, it is being waged in the wild – with feathers, as health experts turn to game birds.

“We are protecting public health by working with nature, not against it,” the General Directorate of Nature Conservation said in a statement.

This week, the directorate and National Parks issued a public statement on social media, reaffirming the commitment to biological control methods, with partridges and pheasants at the heart of its strategy. These birds, far from mere symbols of biodiversity, are enlisted as foot soldiers in Türkiye’s war on ticks.

“Partridges are remarkably effective in tick control, particularly in their first 12 weeks,” the statement stated. “They feed on tick larvae and nymphs, disrupting the parasite’s life cycle at its most vulnerable stages.”

Türkiye reports 700 to 800 CCHF cases annually, with hotspots in Gumushane, Erzincan, Sivas, Tokat and parts of the Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia regions, according to Dr Bulent Durdu.

“Geography becomes destiny”

“Ticks are more than just a nuisance,” adds Dr Durdu, professor of internal medicine, infectious diseases and microbiology at Bezmialem Vakif University in Istanbul.

In an exclusive interview with TRT World, he says: “They are silent vectors of potentially deadly diseases like CCHF. Most people don’t even notice the bite. Tick saliva contains both anaesthetic and anticoagulant agents, which numb the skin and promote blood flow.”

The habitats of these ticks are diverse, in a wide range of environments, he adds. “We find them not only in forests and fields, but also in cemeteries, city parks, livestock barns, even urban green spaces. Wherever animals move through dense vegetation, ticks can thrive.”

“It is a disease where geography becomes destiny,” says Dr Durdu. “Türkiye and Iran see the highest case numbers globally. Our climate, our landscape, and our reliance on agriculture and livestock make us especially vulnerable.”

Despite this, he emphasised that most infections remain mild or asymptomatic. “But when symptoms do appear; fever, muscle pain, fatigue, or bleeding, they must not be ignored. Early diagnosis is critical.”

Prevention in three steps

To reduce the risk of tick bites and tick-borne illness, the doctor recommended a three-pronged approach.

First, cover up by wearing long, light-coloured clothing, tucking trousers into socks, and opting for closed shoes over sandals. Tick repellents should be applied to both skin and clothing, especially in the case of children and pregnant women.

Second, conduct thorough checks after spending time outdoors. This includes inspecting folds of skin, behind the ears, and between the toes, as well as carefully examining pets, which can unknowingly carry ticks into the home.

Finally, if a tick is found, it should be removed safely using fine-tipped tweezers, gripping it as close to the skin as possible and pulling steadily upward. Folk remedies, such as applying oil, alcohol, or heat, should be avoided. The bite area should be cleaned and monitored for symptoms over the following ten days.

He also advises rural communities to mow grass, clear brush, and treat barns and animals with approved anti-parasitic solutions. “This is a community-wide effort, from how we manage land to how we train farmers and healthcare workers.”

An ecological defence

Türkiye’s multi-tiered approach to tick control, from education and veterinary care to releasing birds into the wild, combines innovation with ecological tradition. As summer heat intensifies and tick activity peaks, the risks grow, particularly for those in agricultural regions.

Between 2014 and 2024, more than 982,000 game birds were released into the wild by the Directorate. This year, 45,250 more are set to be released—36,250 partridges and 9,000 pheasants. To protect these birds, designated release areas are subject to three-year hunting bans. Poachers face stiff penalties: fines of up to approximately 7000 lira (177 USD), plus 4,000  (100 USD) lira per bird and 15,000 lira (380 USD)  for those used as live bait.

In a world where the tiniest parasite can carry deadly consequences, it turns out that partridges, informed citizens and attentive doctors all have a role to play in keeping a nation safe.