Download Lyme Disease and Ticks - Dorset County Council

Lyme Disease and Ticks
Lyme disease is a disease carried by hard back ticks which usually live on deer. Although it is not common in Dorset
one or two cases are reported each year. It is not serious if caught early and can quickly and successfully be treated
with antibiotics.
The nearest areas to Weymouth where it could occur are the New Forest and areas of North Dorset, or anywhere
where there are deer and bracken, as the tick leaves its deer host between meals and lives commonly amongst
bracken. When it is ready for its next meal it climbs to the end of its bracken frond and waits for a deer to go past.
Unfortunately, if a human brushes past first, the tick is not too fussy as to the source of its next meal!
If you work or visit areas likely to be affected by ticks, wear long trousers, not shorts, and as far as possible stay on
paths, avoiding pushing through stands of bracken. If you do pick up a tick, remove it as soon as possible. Remove
ticks carefully using tweezers, and making sure that the small black head is removed with the body.
Be aware of the symptoms. If you have recently been bitten by a tick and experience 'flu like symptoms, joint pains or
headaches; if you see a red ring around the bite which gradually gets bigger, like a ripple on a pond, and then
disappears; or if you develop any unusual rash, visit your doctor and tell him about your symptoms and about the tick
bite. A blood test will confirm whether or not you have contracted Lyme disease.
Remember, Lyme disease is easy to treat and is rare in Dorset.
Food & Safety, Council Offices, North Quay, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8TA
Tel: 01305 838432 Fax: 01305 766684
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