SLDC warns about a mite with a nasty bite
25 July 2012
Environmental Health Officers at South
Lakeland District Council are warning walkers and mountain bikers
in the Lake District about the risk of disease from tick bites.
Serious infections including Lyme disease are
spread by ticks which can affect the skin, nervous and respiratory
systems and major organs including the heart, liver, kidneys and
eyes. Ticks prefer wooded areas, long grass and bracken,
especially where deer, sheep and other large mammals are found and
can carry harmful bacteria, which can be passed on when they
bite.
You can take precautions to avoid being bitten
by following these recommendations:
- Wear long sleeved shirts and trousers
- Wear gaiters or tuck trousers into socks
- Use insect repellent containing DEET
- Check skin and clothes at the end of the walk for ticks
- Always check children and pets for ticks.
The majority of people who are bitten do not
become ill, but anyone who does feel ill after finding a tick on
them or after visiting an area where there are ticks should see a
doctor. Symptoms may include skin rashes, chills, fever, headaches,
joint and muscle pain, tiredness, loss of appetite and generally
feeling unwell.
Do not try to remove ticks using fingers or by
burning, using creams, petroleum jelly or nail varnish. The
best way to reduce the chance of infection is to remove it safely
as soon as possible. The aim is to remove all of the tick gently
without squeezing the body, to prevent the tick from regurgitating
its stomach contents back into the bite wound. Use a tick removal
tool, which is available from vets and outdoors shops, fine nose
tweezers or even a loop of cotton and carefully grasp the tick as
close as possible to the skin and slowly draw it out. Once it has
been removed, clean the bite with anti-septic.
SLDC’s Principal Environment and
Housing Officer, Sean Hall, said, “Many people who enjoy
walking and mountain biking in the Lake District may not be aware
of the risks from tick bites. We want to ensure that the
public are aware of the potential risks and what to do if they find
ticks or if they think they may have been bitten by one.”
Further information is available on the SLDC
website at www.southlakeland.gov.uk/ or
check out www.tickbitepreventionweek.org/