Ticks

Ticks are small, spiderlike creatures that feed on the blood of animals, including people. Ticks live in many different outdoor environments, but they are particularly common in grassy and wooded areas. You are therefore more at risk of being bitten if you take part in activities such as hiking, cycling or camping, but ticks can also sometimes be found in urban gardens. Ticks can be active all year round, but they are most active in the months of April to July, and sometimes later in the autumn.

The chance of being bitten by a tick when enjoying outdoor activities can be reduced by:

• Regularly checking clothing and exposed skin for ticks that might be crawling on you and brushing them off immediately
• Walking on clearly defined paths to avoid brushing against vegetation where ticks may be present
• Wearing light-coloured clothing so that ticks crawling on clothing can be spotted and brushed off immediately
• Using an insect repellent (for example DEET) that can repel ticks and prevent them from climbing onto clothing or attaching to skin (always follow the manufacturer’s guidance)
• Wearing long trousers and long-sleeved tops to reduce the direct exposure of ticks to your skin, making it more difficult for them to find a suitable area to attach
• After spending time outside, check yourself, your clothing, your pets and others for ticks.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection which you may be at risk of getting when you are bitten by an infected tick, particularly when spending time outdoors in green spaces.

Although Lyme disease should not stop you from enjoying the outdoors, you can reduce your chances of infection by following the guidance in the previous tab.

Not all ticks in England are infected, and the majority of tick bites will not cause Lyme disease.

There are around 800-1,200 laboratory-confirmed cases of Lyme disease in England and Wales each year, although an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 more people are diagnosed each year based on clinical assessment rather than laboratory tests.

The most common symptom is a spreading, bullseye rash at the site of the tick bite which typically develops 3 to 30 days after being bitten. This occurs in approximately 2/3 of infected people.

Other symptoms include:

• A non-specific flu-like illness
• A facial droop
• Nerve pains and numbness
• Tingling in the hands or feet.

Lyme disease is treatable however if left untreated, the infection can spread to affect the nervous system, joints, or the heart. 

Early symptoms typically develop around 1 to 4 weeks after being bitten, however, they can appear anything between 3 to 30 days after exposure to an infected tick. Rapid recognition of symptoms can ensure that you receive the earliest diagnosis and treatment from your GP.

In the UK, Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics.

If it is untreated, it can cause a wider range of symptoms in some people such as multiple rashes on other parts of the body, facial droop, shooting nerve pain and, rarely, palpitations or joint swelling.

Most patients treated in the later stages of the infection also respond very well to antibiotics, although some may have long-term damage to their joints or the nervous system.