Australian Paralysis ticks now pose a year-round risk for east-coast pets, researchers find

University of Queensland research reveals that paralysis ticks are no longer just a summer threat for pets along Australia’s east coast, with cases recorded throughout the year and spring remaining the peak danger period.

Paralysis ticks are now a year-round operational risk for east-coast pet owners, not merely a summer nuisance. University of Queensland researchers, analysing 22,840 cases over 20 years, found pets were treated even in the coldest winter months and that spring is usually the main danger period.

UQ’s model, shared publicly for the first time in September 2024, said even an “average” season could produce 4,000 to 5,000 tick-related vet visits across eastern Australia, with about one pet in 10 dying. Professor Stephen Barker said the next season depends heavily on the previous summer: hot, dry weather kills eggs; mild, wet conditions help them survive.

NSW says Ixodes holocyclus is a year-round problem, with risk highest in late winter and spring, and that off-host stages can survive six to eight months. CSIRO says adults dominate in spring and summer, but larvae and nymphs are more abundant in autumn and winter.

That matches field reports. Region found Snowy and Braidwood vets seeing cases into April and May, while Pet Insurance Australia says claims continue through autumn and early winter. “Ticks don’t follow the calendar,” spokesperson Nadia Crighton said. The practical implication is straightforward: year-round preventatives and routine checks, especially after bush, scrub or coastal trips.