Despite the snow and freezing conditions covering much of Scotland, next week sees the annual publicity awareness raising week aimed at preventing tick bites. Encouraging walkers and dog owners to be ‘tick aware’ is the message of this year’s Tick Bite Prevention week which runs from Monday 24 March.
“Let’s tackle ticks together by making sure we’re all tick aware”, says Channel 4 ‘Embarrassing Bodies’ science presenter Dr James Logan, who is an expert on ticks. “A tick bite commonly leads to irritation, allergic reaction or localised infection but, in some cases, there can be more serious consequences such as Lyme disease (Borreliosis), which is a tick-borne disease. Being ‘Tick Aware’ can help to keep you and your pets safe while enjoying the great outdoors”.
Ticks are second only to mosquitoes for carrying disease to humans worldwide. In the UK in 2010 there were 1,361 laboratory-confirmed cases of tick-borne Lyme disease, a 24.4% increase on 2009. The Health Protection Agency estimates a further 1,000-2,000 cases go unrecorded each year.
BADA-UK, (Borreliosis and Associated Diseases Awareness-UK), a registered charity run by unpaid volunteers who have been affected by Lyme disease and associated infections, believes that public and professional awareness is key to combating the rise in cases of tick-borne disease.
The charity, which is supported by outdoors enthusiast Ray Mears, advises that the best defense against tick-borne infection is to avoid being bitten in the first place by taking a few simple precautions when out walking.
These include wearing suitable clothing that prevent ticks from accessing the body; use of gaiters, or tucking long trousers into socks, and choosing clothes with elastic or drawstrings at the waist, wrist and ankle, all help to deter ticks from crawling under clothes and attaching.
Clothing made from smooth or waxed material is hard for ticks to climb whilst light-coloured fabrics make it easier to spot a tick. Wearing shorts in a tick habitat is just an invitation to be bitten!
The charity also recommends using an effective insect repellent before setting out, walking in the centre of paths to avoid over hanging vegetation where ticks may be waiting, performing regular tick checks and carrying a tick remover.