The number of patients suffering from tick-borne diseases, some of which are life-threatening, is increasing at a rapid pace this year, prompting alarm among medical experts.
In particular, experts have flagged two infections for which no vaccines are available, noting that the bites through which they are transmitted are difficult to spot.
According to the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, tick-borne Japanese spotted fever, which causes high fever and a rash, has already been found in 118 people this year, topping the figure from the same period last year. The health ministry reported a record 276 such cases last year.