Ticks. The incidence of infections of Lyme Disease is now running at about 500 cases per year. For information about this condition please read on.
Ticks and Lyme Disease
Ticks are tiny blood-sucking insects found in moist, coarse, permanent vegetation in woodland, heath and moorland
including bracken, leaf litter and decaying mats of grass and sedges, particularly in places where deer live, attaching themselves to passing animals and humans. Some ticks carry infections that can affect humans, the most serious of which is lyme disease. Although seldom fatal, lyme disease is a debilitating condition that can remain in the body for many years, affecting the nerves and occasionally even leading to chronic arthritis and heart conditions. Lyme disease is still very rare, though by no means unknown.
The highest risk is in late spring and early summer when the tick is most active and feeding. If you walk through rough vegetation, especially during these months, consider taking the following precautions:
- wear close-weave long trousers and long-sleeved shirts, and keep cuffs fastened and trousers tucked into socks (light-coloured clothing make spotting ticks easier), shoes or boots rather than open sandals, or protect bare skin on arms and legs with insect repellent: DEET or permethrin can protect against ticks for several hours
- If you find a tick or if you think you have been bitten by a tick, seek medical advice straight away, indicating that
you are concerned about the risk of Lyme disease, since early treatment
with antibiotics will normally prevent the illness developing any
further. See the links below for further information on how to remove a tick - a botched removal can lead to its mouth parts being left in your skin leading to infection or possibly cause the tick to disgorge its stomach contents into your bloodstream.
- after your walk, carefully brush all clothing and examine your body carefully for ticks, including their favourite feeding places - the backs of knees, groin, under the arms and on the scalp
Further information on Lyme disease and ticks can be obtained from NHS Direct. NHS Direct Article.
See also: Ramblers Association Arcticle. Lyme Disease Action Group
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