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[admin]

OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS AT INCREASED RISK FOLLOWING EU BAN

Tick-borne disease charity BADA-UK (Borreliosis and Associated Diseases Awareness-UK) and Patron Ray Mears are warning walkers and outdoor enthusiasts to be especially vigilant next spring.

The charity is using its annual awareness campaign Tick Bite Prevention Week (26 March – 1 April) to highlight the increased risk to outdoor enthusiasts in 2012 from tick bites and tick-borne diseases following the EU ban of the herbicide Asulam.

Asulam is used by farmers to control the invasive spread of bracken which provides the perfect habitat for ticks. TV bushcraft and survival expert and BADA-UK Patron Ray Mears warns:

"The control of bracken is vital to the survival of numerous species of flora and fauna as well as reducing tick populations. The spread of bracken as a result of this ban will lead to increased tick numbers making it all the more important that the public takes precautions against tick bites when out and about in rural areas.”

Reports suggest that the tick population and its distribution is increasing, and with it comes the risk of contracting Lyme disease (borreliosis) and other tick-borne diseases.

Ticks are second only to mosquitoes for carrying disease to humans worldwide. In Northern Ireland, voluntary reporting is made to the Public Health Agency. As with other voluntary surveillance systems, the Public Health Agency recognises that cases are likely to be under recorded. From 2005 - 2009, 5 cases in Northern Ireland have been reported. 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, 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 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.

Wendy Fox, Chair of BADA-UK says: "We understand, perhaps better than most the devastating effects that tick-borne diseases can have, therefore we strive to help prevent others from falling victim to them.

People who frequent bracken-rich areas can be recreationally exposed to tick-borne disease, particularly Lyme disease. Increased interest in outdoor pursuits, combined with an increasing tick population is resulting in a year-on-year rise in cases of tick-borne disease."

Tick Bite Prevention Week coincides with the onset of the tick season (March to October) and when people start to get out and about in the warmer weather promotes awareness of tick-borne diseases and effective tick bite prevention for all at-risk groups.

In 2012, BADA-UK and Tick Bite Prevention Week are once again being supported by Mosi-guard® Natural. A dedicated website with educational and advisory information can be found at www.tickbitepreventionweek.org.

[Mourneman]

Never really heard of Tick's before last year when i noticed my dog biting at itself,found what only be described as white chocolate covered peanut

Engorged Dog (or Wood) Tick by mplonsky, on Flickr
on the dog's groin area,so quick check on the internet to find out what it was,( beware some bad advice on internet) ie burning the tick off with a cig,this in fact is worse for you dog as it only kills the tick,leaving behind the rest of the tick inside your pet,this can cause serious infection,also i'am sure the dog won't like getting burned (proper treatment)which i got for vet,pour a little surgical spirit( or strong whiskey) over the tick,he'll fall of within seconds

[Samm]

From someone who gets umpteen ticks a year and who along with my colleagues get more ticks than group of people should ever get - please don't pour surgical spirit or whisky on to an attached tick!  Your risk of disease is massively intensified if you stress out the tick, as it will regurgitate the contents of its stomach into you.  Tweezers (or specialist tick removers) are the only reasonably way to remove ticks.  Sometimes the head will remain attached.  While this is not desirable, it's nothing to worry about.  In a few hours the teeth that hold it in place will lose grip and it will fall out of its own accord. 

From 2005 - 2009, 5 cases in Northern Ireland have been reported.

This mildly concerned me, as from what we had been told, there were no reports of Lyme's disease in NI, though I might be reading this incorrectly.

[steviec]

im scared! anyone ever seen that movie ticks?

[whoRya]

There are forum members who have a great deal of experience in this.  I've had the misfortune of having to remove one of these wee gits before.  Also had to remove one from my son.  I'll admit that they give me the heebee geebees.

I carry one of these with me when I'm outdoors now.

The important thing when removing them is not to squeeze their body.  If you push the contents of their stomach up through their mouth then it is more likely that disease can be transferred.  Maybe the alcohol makes them sick and that is why that is discouraged.

I see Samm has replied.  Any expert advice for avoiding them?  Obviously the covering up bit has been mentioned, but where are we more likely to encounter them?

I'm grossed-out even typing this.

[Samm]

Any expert advice for avoiding them?  Obviously the covering up bit has been mentioned, but where are we more likely to encounter them?

I'm grossed-out even typing this.

Ah, a tick expert, just what I dreamed of being when I was a little girl!  Firstly, some people are just prone to ticks. If there's one in a 10 mile radius they will find it.  I've worked with people who have spent their whole life working outdoors and never got a tick and I've worked with others who can't step outside their front door without getting a tick.  I don't know why this is.  Covering up is definitely the key, but they're minute, if there's a way in, a tick will find it. We tend to mostly get them around our waists or at the top of our arms. Light coloured clothing also helps, it doesn't repel them, but you see them and can flick them off as they're crawling up your trousers. Much harder if you're wearing tick coloured clothing!! Sorry if anyone gets nightmares!!  I would tend to find them mostly where there are wild goats and deer, but you can find them associated with any animal.  Advice is always to beware in long vegetation, but I've found them in 3mm tall grasslands.  Some people swear that things like autan work for them in repelling ticks, but I've never found it to be effective.  Unfortunately it's mostly just a case of staying vigilant, if you find one, remove it as soon as you can and keep an eye on the location of the bite to make sure it doesn't develop the bullseye rash associated with lymes disease.  And ultimately, after removing about your 100th tick the squeamishness goes away :-)

[wee gaz]

good advice from samm but at the easter camp i think we should pour as much strong whiskey down our throats as we can in the hope it keeps away the ticks

[Craigy123]

good advice from samm but at the easter camp i think we should pour as much strong whiskey down our throats as we can in the hope it keeps away the ticks

Ticks dont seem to like alcohol, so if we have plenty in our blood stream if they do bite us they wont like it very much and not do it again maybe? I like this train of thought.

[Are we there yet?]

I feel a little bit sick after reading all that  especially looking at the picture 

But great advice all the same!

[steviec]

i agree - they disgust me i've never seen one and hope i never will! :-S

[dean1970]

One of the first things I do is check the mutt for ticks. Usually will have one, once they have fed for a while are much easier to find.

[dean1970]

Oh meant to say, they taste good, but make sure you cook them right through, bit of garlic, butter etc

yum yum 

[steviec]

Oh meant to say, they taste good, but make sure you cook them right through, bit of garlic, butter etc

yum yum 

i jus  mini-sicked in my mouth ^^^^

[scottishquine]

  Sometimes the head will remain attached.  While this is not desirable, it's nothing to worry about.  In a few hours the teeth that hold it in place will lose grip and it will fall out of its own accord. 

Hi Samm,
sounds like you are a right tick magnet....I am a volunteer for BADA-UK and have come on to give you guys some information about awareness of tick and the diseases they carry. As you said by stressing the tick it will regurgitate and all the gut contents go into the host, bacteria and all. The only part of the tick that enters the host are the mouth parts, which are like an upside down xmas tree also their saliva acts like a cement keeping them in place. The safest and easiest tool to use to remove them is the O'tom tick twister. It removes all the tick and mouth parts. If by any chance you were left with a barb in your skin, best keep a wee eye on them as they can become infected, or can leave you with a bump on your skin. My hubby has a few after removing ticks incorrectly. Also as you said you should never put anything on a tick, it can regurgitate quicker than you can do anything to it. 

[scottishquine]

There are forum members who have a great deal of experience in this.  I've had the misfortune of having to remove one of these wee gits before.  Also had to remove one from my son.  I'll admit that they give me the heebee geebees.

I carry one of these with me when I'm outdoors now.

The important thing when removing them is not to squeeze their body.  If you push the contents of their stomach up through their mouth then it is more likely that disease can be transferred.  Maybe the alcohol makes them sick and that is why that is discouraged.

I see Samm has replied.  Any expert advice for avoiding them?  Obviously the covering up bit has been mentioned, but where are we more likely to encounter them?

I'm grossed-out even typing this.

You will find ticks anywhere there is wildlife. A tick will release it'self from a host when it has had enough blood. So where ever that host maybe that's where the tick falls. It then goes off and moves on to the next stage of it's life cycle, and then waits for it's next host. There is an increase in the cases of Urban Lyme, there are even ticks in the centre of cities. It is no longer the case that you only get them walking the Highlands of Scotland That is why we do what we do, to make as many people as we can aware of them and what to do. If you do ever become infected by Lyme it is easily treatable with a course of anti biotics in the early stages. If you go on to our website there is all the information you will ever need to know about ticks.

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