Prevention:
The first step to combat Lyme Ilness
Ticks need to feed on blood at every stage of their life cycle and feed on a wide variety of wild and domestic animals, including birds and reptiles. Transmission to humans can occur during visits to the vector’s habitat, when bird or mammalian hosts (and their associated ticks) migrate to the urban environment, or when pets bring ticks into households.
Ticks can be active the whole year
PEAK MONTHS ARE MAY TO OCTOBER
Our recommendation is to remove them as soon as possible as studies show that they can transmit Borrelia b. almost as soon as they attach themselves to our skin.
“…. These results suggest that, in cases where spirochetes are present in the salivary glands of the tick, they can be inoculated into the host during preparatory transfers of antihistamines and anticoagulants prior to the start of feeding, i.e. immediately after attachment of the tick to the host…”
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4278789/
Precautions against ticks in the field
Wear light-coloured clothing with a hat, long trousers, long-sleeved shirt or T-shirt and closed shoes.
Spray clothing (never the body) with a specific repellent (permethrin) against ticks. Not recommended for children under 2 years of age or pregnant women. Spray sleeping bags and tents.
Areas where ticks are most commonly found are forests, tall grass fields, undergrowth and among leaves on the ground. Appropriate clothing is recommended for these areas, but ticks can also be found in city parks and gardens.
They can be carried by pets.
Adult bites and nymph bites can spread viruses and bacteria.
Back from the field
Actions to detect Ticks
- Take a shower.
- Carefully check the whole body, looking especially carefully at: Head, armpits, back of the knees, navel, inside and outside the ears and around the waist.
- Ticks tend to attach themselves to areas of thinner skin.
Remember that the bite does not hurt or become inflamed. - Remember that they can be as small as a poppy seed.
- Do not reuse clothing without first washing it.
Do not forget to check your pet for ticks too
What Should I do if I find a tick on my body?
Very Important!
Never burn it or pull it. Under no circumstance pour any product
1- Tick removal with special hook
Slide the hook through the skin until the tick is inside the groove of the hook.
Gently rotate the hook on itself as shown in the picture until the tick comes out.
Use the appropriate size hook (there are 2) according to the size of the tick.
IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE HOOK, USE A PAIR OF TWEEZERS.
2- Tick removal with Tweezers
The tweezers should be fine-tipped and have blunt edges.
Act as shown in the drawing with a green circle.
The tick’s mouth is equipped with backward-facing “teeth”, so if the tick is not removed properly, part of the head or mouth may remain in our body where viruses and bacteria may be present.
After removal, disinfect the bite area.
Store the tick in a jar with the date written on it and freeze for 6 weeks.
If there are no symptoms within this time, discard.
In case of Having Symptoms
Flu-like, any suspicious symptoms or if Erythema migrans appears, go to a health centre or hospital, taking the tick with you so that it can be analysed.
In case of Eyrthema migrans occurs, it will appear where the bite took place.
It is estimated that the Erythema migrans rash occurs in 30-50% of cases.
It may appear between 2 and 32 days after the bite.
It is painless and will disappear spontaneously.