Five occupations that can raise your risk of tick-borne infections, including Lyme disease 

Throughout much of the northern hemisphere, climate change is fueling an invasion of ticks, putting hundreds of millions of people in danger of contracting multiple illnesses, including Lyme disease.

But as the bloodsucking pests march northward, some people are in greater danger than others due to what they do for a living, according to a study by European researchers. 

“Despite continuous efforts to manage emerging diseases, the growing threat from ticks spreading to new areas, along with the pathogens they transmit, is especially noticeable in Europe,” the authors warn.

The ten scientists reviewed 36 studies across the continent looking at blood tests done on people in various occupations. They published their findings in the November 2025 edition of Public Health, an international peer-reviewed journal.

Their article, titled “Seroprevalence of tick-borne diseases in Europe in occupational settings: A systematic review and metanalysis,” outlines a number of jobs that put workers at significant risk for tick-borne infections, including these five:

• Livestock and dairy producers — particularly in Italy, where 76 per cent tested positive for antibodies to Coxiella burnetii, a tick-borne pathogen that can cause Q fever,  
• Forestry workers, who are particularly vulnerable to Borrelia burgdorferi, a bacterium spread by ticks that causes Lyme disease, 
• Farmers,
• Military workers,
• Veterinarians.

It’s not difficult to see what these jobs have in common, as ticks expand their geographical footprint, both in rural and urban areas.

“Workers at high risk … could include those in contact with animals across a range of occupational settings, from veterinary clinics to farms,” the researchers write. 

“Moreover, workers performing their duties outdoors may also be at higher risk of being bitten by ticks, even without specific contact with animals,” the article continues.

“Given the substantial variation across worker categories, targeted preventive measures, increased awareness, and enhanced surveillance efforts are necessary to mitigate risks in high-exposure professions.”

Risk to Canadian workers also rising

European countries aren’t the only ones struggling with growing occupational hazards due to expanding tick habitats. Canadians who work in this country’s large agricultural, parks and forestry sectors, as well as with animals, are also dealing with increased risk, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. 

Among other things, the centre recommends employers in these sectors use a risk checklist to assess the danger tick-borne diseases pose to their workers. 

“Taking a layered approach to hazard controls, where multiple precautions are introduced at the same time, is the most effective approach to protecting workers against ticks,” the centre says on its website.