Ticks in England can carry infections, together with Lyme disease and — very hardly ever — tick-borne encephalitis (TBE).
Ticks might be lively all yr spherical, however they’re most lively within the months April to July, and typically later within the autumn. Exercise continues over the winter months however at a considerably diminished degree. So, we’re reminding individuals to be ‘tick conscious’ as they benefit from the nice open air at any time of the yr.
That will help you keep secure, we have compiled a information to defending your self from tick-borne infections. On this weblog publish, you may discover ways to keep away from tick bites, recognise the indicators and signs of Lyme illness and TBE, and when to hunt medical help.
The place are ticks discovered?
Ticks reside in many various outside environments however they’re significantly widespread in grassy and wooded areas. You’re due to this fact extra susceptible to being bitten in the event you participate in actions akin to mountaineering, biking or tenting. You may also be uncovered to ticks whereas on a stroll in some city parks and gardens.
Learn how to keep away from tick-borne infections
Whereas strolling in inexperienced areas, stick to obviously outlined paths and attempt to keep away from brushing in opposition to vegetation the place ticks may be current. Additionally contemplate sporting clothes that covers your pores and skin to make it tougher for ticks to entry an acceptable place to chew.
Use insect repellent (for instance DEET) and often test clothes or uncovered pores and skin so as to spot any crawling ticks and brush them off.
After spending time exterior, it’s crucial to test your self, your clothes, your pets and others for ticks. Take away any hooked up tick as quickly as you discover it utilizing a tick-removal software or fine-tipped tweezers. Superb-tipped tweezers are totally different from common tweezers that may be used to take away eyebrow hair. They’re very slender and pointed on the tip and make sure that ticks should not squashed throughout elimination.
What’s Lyme illness?
Lyme disease is an an infection that may be transmitted by ticks discovered within the UK, although it must be remembered that not all ticks carry the micro organism which causes Lyme illness and never all bites from an contaminated tick will end in human an infection. The illness might be acquired when somebody is bitten by an contaminated tick, often open air in inexperienced areas the place ticks may be current. Lyme illness shouldn’t deter you from having fun with the outside as a result of you’ll be able to scale back your probability of an infection by following the precautions above.
What are the signs of Lyme illness?
Probably the most widespread symptoms is a spreading, ‘bullseye’ rash on the website of the tick chew which generally develops 3 to 30 days after being bitten. This rash doesn’t happen in all instances. Different signs embody delicate flu-like signs akin to fever, headache and fatigue, a facial droop, nerve pains and numbness or tingling within the fingers or ft.
The place are you able to catch it?
Persons are most probably to come across ticks when doing actions within the countryside, significantly in woodlands and grasslands the place wild animals (together with deer) and livestock are additionally plentiful. Different inexperienced areas akin to city parks or gardens also can present alternatives for contact between individuals and ticks.
Whereas ticks are most lively within the spring and summer season months, they are often discovered all yr spherical. Nearly all of tick bites is not going to trigger Lyme illness. There are round 1,500 laboratory-confirmed instances of Lyme illness in England and Wales every year, though an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 extra persons are identified every year primarily based on medical evaluation moderately than laboratory exams.
Can Lyme illness be handled?
Within the UK, Lyme illness is an unusual an infection and might be efficiently handled with antibiotics as per Nationwide Institute for Well being and Care Excellence (NICE) pointers. If untreated, it may well trigger a wider vary of signs in some individuals akin to a number of rashes on different components of the physique, facial droop, capturing nerve ache and, hardly ever, palpitations or joint swelling. Most sufferers handled within the later phases of an infection additionally reply very nicely to antibiotics, though some could have long-term harm to their joints or the nervous system.
Searching for signs of Lyme illness and checking your self for ticks after you go to inexperienced areas the place they could be current is essential. Immediate right tick elimination can scale back your possibilities of buying Lyme illness.
Early signs sometimes develop round 1 to 4 weeks after being bitten, nevertheless, they’ll seem something between 3 to 30 days after publicity to an contaminated tick. Speedy recognition of signs can make sure that you obtain the earliest prognosis and therapy out of your GP.
What to do you probably have signs of Lyme illness
If you happen to turn out to be unwell (for instance with a spreading round rash, flu-like signs, nerve ache or a droop on one or either side of the face) inside just a few weeks of being bitten by a tick, contact your GP or dial NHS 111 promptly. Not everybody will realise that they had been bitten by a tick, so you should still develop Lyme illness signs with out remembering a tick chew. There are nationwide pointers for medical doctors, offering recommendation on prognosis and administration of Lyme illness.
How are instances of Lyme illness monitored throughout the nation?
Surveillance instruments for Lyme illness use data from ticks collected in areas throughout the nation and laboratory information from affected person samples. Beforehand, nevertheless, because the laboratory information was sometimes linked to the place somebody lived, there was a niche in understanding about the place an an infection was acquired.
We now collect further data on individuals who check optimistic for not too long ago acquired Lyme illness, together with the place they could have picked up the an infection.
This enhanced surveillance permits us to raised perceive the epidemiology and danger components for Lyme illness in England, so individuals can take steps to cut back their danger when they’re having fun with the outside.
Are instances of Lyme illness rising?
Research in Europe estimate that 1% to five% of tick bites can result in Lyme illness. On common, roughly 4% of ticks are contaminated in England and Wales, though this vary can fluctuate in numerous areas and throughout years, and might be on common as excessive as 8-10% in some areas.
Since information assortment started in 2005, there was a gradual rising pattern in instances of Lyme illness, though yearly fluctuations have been noticed, significantly since 2018. You may entry common stories on the UKHSA web site.
The rise in complete instances could also be because of a mix of elevated consciousness of Lyme illness in addition to improved surveillance, higher entry to diagnostics, elevated potential for encounters with ticks because of modifications in wildlife populations and habitat modification which will have resulted in modifications in tick distribution throughout the nation, and human behaviour modifications.
What’s ‘power Lyme illness’?
There isn’t a agreed definition of the time period ‘power Lyme illness’ amongst medical doctors so it may well imply various things to totally different individuals. Some individuals use the time period power Lyme illness to explain a spread of non-specific signs together with power tiredness and unexplained neurological signs, even when there isn’t any proof of previous or present Lyme illness an infection.
The non-specific signs overlap with these of a number of different circumstances together with fibromyalgia and power fatigue syndrome, which might be triggered by widespread infections such because the glandular fever virus, and – extra not too long ago – COVID-19.
Though most individuals with Lyme illness recuperate from the an infection rapidly and utterly, it’s not uncommon to really feel some lingering fatigue or muscle ache on the time you end your course of antibiotics. These signs typically resolve on their very own over time though very hardly ever can persist for over 6 months and should not improved with longer or repeated programs of antibiotics.
Ought to I get examined by the NHS or a privately funded laboratory? Is there a distinction?
You probably have a traditional bullseye rash, then try to be handled for Lyme illness with out the necessity for a check. You probably have a latest tick publicity and signs of Lyme illness (however no bullseye rash), steering to NHS medical doctors in England is to take a blood pattern and ship it for testing at an NHS or UKHSA laboratory.
The exams work by in search of antibodies that an individual contaminated with Lyme illness would produce.
The antibodies take a while to achieve ranges that may be detected, due to this fact, exams carried out throughout the first 4 weeks of an infection could also be unfavorable and will should be repeated on a recent blood pattern taken 4 to six weeks after the primary check.
We advocate individuals train warning with personal exams and communicate to their NHS physician for recommendation earlier than spending cash on personal exams or therapies, as some personal laboratories and clinics provide unreliable exams and coverings that aren’t supported by the scientific neighborhood.
Diagnostic exams executed exterior the NHS can also produce false positives the place the check exhibits optimistic for Lyme illness when the affected person doesn’t even have it. Our recommendation is to hunt assist by means of the NHS.
What’s tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV)?
TBEV is a viral an infection that spreads by means of tick bites. Though it’s prevalent in lots of components of the world, together with a number of European nations, in the previous few years, ticks carrying TBEV have been present in just a few areas in England. A really small variety of human TBE instances have been identified which can be thought to have been acquired within the UK.
What are its signs?
TBEV causes a spread of shows, from utterly asymptomatic an infection to delicate flu-like sickness, all the best way to extreme an infection within the central nervous system akin to meningitis or encephalitis (swelling of the mind).
Signs of encephalitis and meningitis can embody a excessive fever with a headache, neck stiffness, confusion, seizures or matches, diminished or lack of consciousness.
Search pressing medical consideration in the event you or anybody you realize experiences:
- extreme headache
- stiff neck
- ache taking a look at vivid lights
- a match (seizure), if not recognized to be epileptic
- sudden confusion or change in behaviour
- weak spot or lack of motion in legs and arms
- facial drooping, change in imaginative and prescient or slurred speech
Extra data might be discovered on the NHS website.
Keep in mind that recommendation and therapy is available by means of the NHS. So, in the event you assume you may have been bitten by a tick and have signs, contact your GP apply and settle for the therapy that’s provided to you.
