Download tick and lyme disease information

Ticks and Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is an illness caused by Borrelia
burgdorferi bacteria, which inhabit the gut of
some ticks. It is passed through bites. Ticks are
spider like creatures found in many parts of the
U.K., Europe, and North America. Infected ticks
are known to be present in London and the South
East. However, very few ticks carry the infection.
Prevention
Prevention is the best form of protection from Lyme disease.
Avoid infection when walking through any areas of rough
vegetation; woodland, scrub, bracken , rough grass:
shown actual size
Photo: Gunnar Hasle
Larvae, Nymph, Adult Male, Female, Engorged adult (after feeding) .
Wear light coloured clothing to enable detection of ticks
before they bite.
Wear long sleeved shirts and trousers.
Examine yourself, children and pets at the end of the day;
remember ticks are very small and hard to spot.
If you work in tick infected areas, change your clothing before
going home.*
Remove ticks as soon as they are seen.
There is no vaccine available.
Protect dogs with insect repellent or a tick collar.
Ticks live in bracken, long grass, scrub and
woodlands. They attach themselves to passing
animals, birds and people, and feed by biting
through the skin and sucking blood. They can
remain attached for 2 to 7 days before dropping
off. Ticks are small and can remain unnoticed until
they are fully engorged. The main period of tick
activity is from May to October, although they
may be active at other times if the weather is mild.
Tick larvae and nymphs feed mainly on small
mammals and birds such as rabbits, voles, field
mice, thrushes and pheasants. Adult ticks feed
mainly on medium to large mammals such as deer,
horses, rabbits and dogs. Humans are incidental
food sources.
If the tick is carefully removed
before 24 hours
infection is highly unlikely
*
Lyme disease contracted through work is reportable under RIDDOR
H3D www.otom.com
Prevent ticks biting by using insect repellents such as DEET
and permethrin based products.
Wear shoes or boots instead of sandals.
Deer Tick
Ixodes ricinus
Tick Removal
Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Lyme disease symptoms may begin to appear days or weeks after
being bitten. Often a red or pink rash, which is neither raised nor
itchy, spreads gradually outwards from the location of the bite. It
can spread slowly to a size of about 60cm if not treated.
Bullseye Rash
The rash can be very faint, and
sometimes does not appear at all. It
will usually clear rapidly with
antibiotic treatment. Flu like
symptoms such as headaches, chills,
tiredness and aching joints may occur either before or at the same
time as the rash appears. These symptoms can last for weeks if
not treated.
Serious complications such as joint problems, tingling sensations
in limbs, and facial paralysis, may occur weeks or months later if
the disease is left untreated.
Early treatment with antibiotics will shorten the duration of the
disease, and prevent development to the later stages.
Tick removal with
tweezers and tick tool
Risk of infection is highly unlikely if the tick is removed
within 24 hours
Due to its small size and secure attachment, ticks are
difficult to remove
Pinch, Twist, Pull:
ƒ Pinch the tick as close to the skin as possible
preferably with fine nose tweezers or a tick removal
tool, grasping the tick by the head.
ƒ Avoid squeezing the body of the tick.
ƒ Use your fingernails if fine tweezers are not available.
ƒ Pull the tick out firmly and slowly.
Clean and disinfect the bite, and wash your hands.
Never use heat or chemicals / lotions in an attempt to
loosen the tick. This can increase the risk of infection, and
is not believed to be effective.
If you are worried about possible
infection contact your GP.