View Full Version : Ticks
Well, as I started the thread on chiggers, seems quite right to start the one about ticks.
Last weekend I spent the night in the forest (norfolk area, UK). After breakfast we went for a walk. Having found a nice patch of grass we laid down to be wormed by the morning sun. I did notice some fern laid on the ground, but I ignored them!
big mistake, I should have inspected the terrain more accurately!!! Some dear must have being laying there before us! result: 3 of us shared about 12 ticks!!! :yikes: :yikes: :yikes:
Now we are all fine (even though one infected and my son had a big red spot for a few days, which is now going away) but it was not nice.
Anyway, if i learn something from this story:
- alway check were you sit. Hairy-four-legged-bush-dwelling creature may like the same spots as us!
- Take a tarp to put on the ground (I'll attach one outside my back pack)
- dress appropriately (the weather is cooling down, so it won't be difficult!)
enjoy
Great Pebble
25-08-2004, 22:54
I've got a big, slightly swollen red spot on my ankle from where I removed one of the wee beggars about a week and a half ago. Still debating whether or not to go to the Doctor as I often take worse than may be expected reactions to bites and it's right on the collar of my boot, which means it constantly gets rubbed.
If it hasn't disappered by the weekend I may go and have it looked at.
Brynglas
25-08-2004, 22:57
Nick,
have you tried some antihistamine cream such as anthistan? This may help. Otherwise some lavender essential oil which should help to reduce some of the inflamation.
I've got a big, slightly swollen red spot on my ankle from where I removed one of the wee beggars about a week and a half ago. Still debating whether or not to go to the Doctor as I often take worse than may be expected reactions to bites and it's right on the collar of my boot, which means it constantly gets rubbed.
If it hasn't disappered by the weekend I may go and have it looked at.
Is that a red spot you have or a red ring? If it is a red ring you should seek medical attention soon as this is a sign of Lyme's Disease. A red spot is to be expected and less worrying.
Great Pebble
25-08-2004, 23:00
Haven't tried anything on it yet, it's just slightly itchy. I'm one of these people that tries to avoid any form of medication unless I really need it. Might gine the essential oil a go though.
Thanks for the tip.
Having found a nice patch of grass we laid down to be wormed by the morning sun.
:o):
As an aside, you can pick ticks up from sheep infested areas (most any other animal really). I find places with bracken to be the worst, but that's likely just because the vegatation is higher.
acw_akkermans
26-08-2004, 11:18
When a tick gets onto your body, it will usually move to warm moist areas on your body. Once there, it will dig into your skin so it can feed itself on blood. After about 12 hours (sometimes a lot longer) the tick will release itself from your skin by injecting it’s saliva to dissolve the tissue around the bite. (Ticks are literally stuck with barbs into your skin). It is this saliva which can contain a number of different bacteria or virusses.
If Lymes disease has been contracted you may or may not find a “bulls-eye” like rask which is usually not itchy. Early on you may feel flu-ish. If the infection spreads, it can affect the heart, nervous system and joints. Early symptoms may be rashes, headache, stiff neck and sore joints. Fever and muscle aches are also common. If untreated, these symptoms could go on to affect your short-term memory and ultimately be fatal. The only way to prevent these symptoms developing is to be treated with antibiotics as soon as possible. There is no vaccine yet.
Because Lymes disease is transmitted through the tick’s saliva, it’s best to remove a tick as soon as it’s spotted and not leave it till it comes out by itself. (In some high-risk areas it’s best to check for ticks every 12 hours). For this reason, you want to be sure the tick is removed before it wants to remove itself. Putting on petroleum jelly to ‘choke it to death’ as some people suggest or burning it off with a cigarette, will only encourage the tick to try and get out by itself, thus injecting saliva. It is best to grab the tick with a pair of tweezers and pull it straight out before the tick realizes it’s being assaulted. Also, try and remove the whole tick. After you have removed the tick, clean thoroughly with an antiseptic wipe and try and remember where the bite was so you can identify any problems that may occur at a later date. In most areas in the world, a low percentage of ticks carry Lymes disease, but in some parts of the United States, as much as one-third of ticks may contain Lymes.However, if you check for ticks regularly and remove them properly, there is really nothing to worry about. Even in the case of contracting Lymes it is easy enough treated if the disease has not advanced too far.
Hope this helps
Anthonio
I was told recently never to put petroleum jelly or anything that may suffercate it onto a tick which apprently encourages the tick to vomit its stomach contents into the wound it has made,this makes the likelyhood of it passing lymes on to its victim much greater as you can imagine.
i think your getting the processes wrong way round there mate.. i though it was if you tryed to pull it off it dug its head in and vomited.. if you suffercate if before you try and pull if off then this doesnt happen..
i think your getting the processes wrong way round there mate.. i though it was if you tryed to pull it off it dug its head in and vomited.. if you suffercate if before you try and pull if off then this doesnt happen..No,iam getting it the right way round.Well atleast that was what i was told anyway.
Cairodel
28-11-2004, 10:00
Having found a nice patch of grass we laid down to be wormed by the morning sun. enjoy
Much better to see the Vet. about that :rolmao:
No,iam getting it the right way round.Well atleast that was what i was told anyway.
I jus did a google search on it.. there seems to be conflicting arguements all over the shop.. :?:
I jus did a google search on it.. there seems to be conflicting arguements all over the shop.. :?:Agreed :?:
For ticks that have been attached for 0 - 18 hours, the basic advice seems to be to carefully pluck them off with tweezers. After that, and you have to take a chance. Here in Wales I've not heard of any reports of Lymes Disease so I'd happily pull any I picked up after 24 hours. However, if you life in a Lymes prone area and find a tick that you think has been attached for more than 18 hours an you can seek medical advice, then you migth want to consider doing so. If you ask if I would, then probably not, I'd keep an eye on the bite for a few weeks (off and on, not obsessive like!) and watch out for a red ring to form around it - diagnostic of Lymes. Likewise, if I came down with a flu-like feeling soon after, I'd mention it to the doc.
Info at: http://www.healthnewsflash.com/conditions/lyme_disease.php
I've heard it is a good idea to keep any tick that you remove. Then if later Lymes Disease is suspected the tick itself can be tested. As far as I recall keeping them in a screw top jar with a piece of damp paper seemed to be the recomendation. Also label the jar and date it.
I am no authority on tick removal, but I can say that I was bitten for the first time ever by a tick over the August bank holiday. I did not see it but it must of been on for moments only (on my left upper arm) and I probably knocked it off with my rucksack. Anyhow you guessed it I developed Lymes Disease, not pleasant and I am only just over it now. The point here is that it was not attached for long.
The grating issue about this whole episode is that the day before I was bitten we had visited the vets with our two cats and I thought it would be useful to get one of those tick removal implements as our children had started coming out more frequently on country walks.
Moral of the story : If anything horrible is going to happen it is bound to be to me (natural selection and the weakest link spring to mind) :?:
Elliott
Bushcrafting & ticks seem to go together like bread & butter in my haunts at least :shock:
Dressing properly helps, long trousers and canvas gaiter works well, as do long sleeves. I don't sleep on the ground, prefering to use a hammock if possible. But evetually I still manage to find they have pentrated my defences :?: , and you find them, in the pit on the back of your knee, your armpit, even on the scrotom(?) :yikes:
Removing the ticks cleanly is vital if you are to avoid the nasty health hazards that go with them.
After talking to a local vet, he sold me a little tool for safely removing the little ******s called an OTOM for £1.50 or so. This bit of kit removes them in tact, jaws, head and stomach contents all where they should be, on them and not in me :lol:
The Trackertrail web-site has some good information on the hazards of ticks and there is a thread on here to with more info on the OTOM.
Hope this is of some help.
Neil
TheViking
30-11-2004, 19:56
I check myself every evening (when outside) and if I find one, it gets pullen out by the SAK tweezers. They're superb for that, well at least the small ones. :wink:
The first and as yet only time I've had a tick, I didn't really know what to do about it, so I left it, but as it was on an exposed bit of skin it got sprayed with deet. It shrivelled up and turned a lighter shade of brown after a few hours, and about two days later dropped off.
I haven't found anything on using deet but I doubt it's a good idea... what do you guys think?
The first and as yet only time I've had a tick, I didn't really know what to do about it, so I left it, but as it was on an exposed bit of skin it got sprayed with deet. It shrivelled up and turned a lighter shade of brown after a few hours, and about two days later dropped off.
I haven't found anything on using deet but I doubt it's a good idea... what do you guys think?
It most probably shrivelled up and changed colour as it digested your blood. :shock: :yikes: :yikes: :yikes: and then dropped off when it was done.
How the hell did you manage to resist knocking it off !!!
Cheers,
martin
Emma how long ago was this?
July. I watched the area carefully for a month, and apart from the slight red bump there has been nothing else. No ring, certainly.
ah righty thats ok then.. :biggthump in future you wana get them of asap..
who ever it was said you should put them in a pot and date it has never spent a week on dartmoor in summer.. i would have ended up with a pack full of ticks and pots.. not very pratical..
I know now. ;) Made a point of doing a bit of research when I got home. ;)
Hopefully I'll remember to do some again before the next time I head into tick country... ;)
Tantalus
01-12-2004, 06:38
Elliot, just curious, how did the doc diagnose Lyme disease?
Is there a blood test?
As for keeping individual ticks, if ya tell the doc you are in the habit of sleeping under bushes I am sure he / she will believe that you know a lot about ticks, enough to recognise them correctly anyway :o):
Tant
RovingArcher
01-12-2004, 10:48
In all the years I have been walking the bush, I've only had a couple of ticks. Just been lucky I guess, but ever since lyme disease came on the scene, I spray my clothing with a deet based repellent and let them dry prior to putting them on and I wipe down my exposed skin with Body guard towlettes (http://backcountryinc.com/shopping/htm/bugstuff3.asp). It seems to work very well on everything except one particularly nasty green biting fly.
bambodoggy
01-12-2004, 11:08
I've never had a tick personally but my hound gets three or four a year while he's sniffing through the underbrush. I tend to remove them carefully with tweezers and then have to swiftly put them into a small ziplock bag and dispose of them before he wrestles me to the floor and tries to eat it....my dog will eat ANYTHING (never know a hound to eat oranges, strawberries, wasps and bees and who likes taking pills as if they were sweeties!).
We use a product called "Frontline" which is a pretty standard flee/tick prevention product for cats and dogs. You drop a small amount of the stuff on the back of their neck and they are ok for a month or so....Samson's only got the ticks in the early summer and just before we start the summer course of frontline....
Anyway....my question (for those medically minded out there) is: Is there a human equivalent out there that we can use say once a month or so to keep the ticks/flees from the wilds off us too? Or are we reduced to using deet every day we're out?
Nick, you shoudl go see the doc immediately. Lyme disease starts with a red circle around the tick bite. This is a serious condition if left unattended, but that can be treated with antibiotics.
Go see your doc.
Every darn tick bite must be thoroughly disinfected with an appropriate product.
Cheers,
David
Elliot, just curious, how did the doc diagnose Lyme disease?
Is there a blood test?
Tant
Initially from clinical presentation/symptoms and then confirmed via blood test, looking for the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi . She stated that it was not that rare - I live on the Dorset/Hants border close to the New Forest.
Elliott
We have plenty of ticks here on Islay. Especially as there are 2000+ Red Deer, countless sheep and other tickable beasts. The way I deal with them:
Plenty of Garlic in the diet - up to three cloves a week (Not Three Bulbs!!)
and remove them - if you get them ASAP with OTOM - a superb and lightwieght contraction like tweezer.
their website is
www.otom.com
We feed our dogs garlic too and they very rarely get ticks.
We always wear long trousers, boots and if short sleeves - check regularly
Beware of Lymes disease IT IS DANGEROUS!!!
Good luck
JeremyH
We have plenty of ticks here on Islay. Especially as there are 2000+ Red Deer, countless sheep and other tickable beasts. The way I deal with them:
Plenty of Garlic in the diet - up to three cloves a week (Not Three Bulbs!!)
and remove them - if you get them ASAP with OTOM - a superb and lightwieght contraction like tweezer.
their website is
www.otom.com
We feed our dogs garlic too and they very rarely get ticks.
We always wear long trousers, boots and if short sleeves - check regularly
Beware of Lymes disease IT IS DANGEROUS!!!
Good luck
JeremyHSeems like sound advice to me.
I know at least three people who have had Lymes disease here in the UK and as already stated its a pretty nasty disease. For folks who like taking their dog with them in the country side, please be aware your dog can catch it too and its usually fatal for dogs. There is a canine vaccine thats just become available in the States and I am watching to see how effective it is and whether its becomes available over here.
Regards,
Pete
If you have got the ring you must go to see your doctor (or give it to Frodo :o): ) !
The Lymes disease / borrelia should be taken very seriously !!
I have had the :***: twice (diagnosed as East African Tick Bite Fever), the first time I spent some 8 days in hospital. The second time I was only half conscious when speed to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for the best part of a week and a total of 16 days in hospital.
Belive me you do not want that experience !!
bambodoggy
05-12-2004, 12:27
Pete...do you use the "Frontline" stuff on your dogs? I use it on my GSD and haven't had any bites at all since.....or flee's either, seems to be good stuff...just drop it on their back once a month and that's it.
I'm fairly lucky in that I don't live in an area that is deemed dangerous for Lymes...
greg2935
13-12-2004, 12:32
I've had numerous tick bites living in africa, the usual method of removal is a liberal coating of vaseline, wait till the tick comes off and check to make sure the head is still on the tick, we used dig the head out with a needle if necessary.
Greg
Bamboodoggy,
Sorry budy, I missed your question.
I use Frontline during the summer but although supposedly "safe" I feel uneasy about using it to much...To kill fleas like that, it must be quite a strong chemical.
With regards Frontline and Ticks, I have been told it will kill them, but may take 24hours or so to do it. When I asked if that meant there was still a danger from Lymes I was not given a straight answer...
Regards,
Peter
Moonraker
13-12-2004, 14:03
I've had numerous tick bites living in africa, the usual method of removal is a liberal coating of vaseline, wait till the tick comes off and check to make sure the head is still on the tick, we used dig the head out with a needle if necessary.
Greg
Greg, this is not a recommended method now for the reasons Anthonio outlined in his earlier post:
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=2864
Because Lymes disease is transmitted through the tick’s saliva, it’s best to remove a tick as soon as it’s spotted and not leave it till it comes out by itself. (In some high-risk areas it’s best to check for ticks every 12 hours). For this reason, you want to be sure the tick is removed before it wants to remove itself. Putting on petroleum jelly to ‘choke it to death’ as some people suggest or burning it off with a cigarette, will only encourage the tick to try and get out by itself, thus injecting saliva.
Cheers
Simon
greg2935
15-12-2004, 11:58
Ta for the info, I stand corrected.
Greg
(dont see anypoint in a new thread for this)
anyone tryed one of these..
http://www.trekdirect.co.uk/acatalog/tickpicker.jpg
from www.trekdirect.co.uk
No, haven't tried one of those, have used the mini crowbar you can get from the vets and they are pretty good :-)
TheViking
23-02-2005, 19:24
I have one od them tomtom shows. Found them better for larger ticks. A pair of SAK tweezers is better for smaller ones.
Size is dirctly proportional to the amount of time it has been feeding on you!! :o):
I find that a light coloured pair of trousers show up any of the offending little swines, and they can simply be brushed off. I use normal tweezers to get them out with a slight rotary pull. I have been informed by the medics at numerous military establishments that this is the best way of removing them. In the last seven years in Germany, I have been bitten by one tick, and I found him soon after getting back from a hike in the local woods in Hameln. But using light coloured trousers, I saw that I picked up loads of ticks on evey trip, but simply brushed them off every ten minutes or so.
sandbender
23-02-2005, 20:06
I contracted Lymes desease while walking in Hungary and Romania, it wasn't much fun!
Only ever had two ticks stuck on me, (fingers crossed smilie), but when fieldwalking sheep fields in the Lake District my colleagues got plenty of the blighters (me? I wore gaiters!)...no F.A. Kit...no vaseline, but we *did* have Tequilla. Soak a bit of cotton wool in the stuff and hold it over the thing's backside. It drops off in seconds and there were no infections or obvious signs of irritation afterwards either. Is alcohol a recommended treatment?....it's certainly sterile :-)
Don't think it'd stop Lyme's though.
Toddy
I seem to recall reading that alcohol can make them vomit which once again can increase risk of infection.
Hey, I thought I could contribute greatly to this thread as I indeed have Lyme disease as we speak !
I got the proper diagnosis last week (after a lot of messing around). I self-diagnosed from websites and asked the doc for a blood test. I am currently taking doxycycline for a 3 week duration for acute lyme disease.
It all started back in June last year when I went on a bushcraft course for a week in Cumbria. Didn't notice it at the time, but when I got home what appeared to be a mossie bit was on my left hip surrounded by a saucer sized ring which was blueish edged with red.
I can only think in retrospect what symptoms I may have had - as there were none noticeable at the time, and indeed I feel fine now.
The typical migrans rash makes the occasional appearence and is now down my left leg just above the knee.
Just be wary of anything with a large rash around it !! ;)
Gail, I hope you get sorted out.
There was a guy here who went on exercise and didn't check for ticks, which are rife on the local training area by the way. He had to go to the medical centre to get 36 ticks removed from his body, and suffered from Lyme's disease. Now I'm not entirely sure of the possible outcomes of getting Lyme's disease, but it left him a bit slow, if you get me. He is still a serving soldier, but it is quite frightening to think that a single tick could have caused his problem, and it so easily could have been avoided if he had followed a basic hygiene regime and sorted his admin out.
Spamel
zackerty
04-05-2005, 04:04
I am glad jeremyh mentioned garlic... :) I rub it on my legs when tramping.
BTW Do not wear YELLOW clothing, use yellow tents, etc, as insects, including ticks, are like little magnets to the colour. :eek:
I have been bitten over 100 times by ticks in my life, and from a teenager, I always used vaseline, or silicone grease... I have never been even slightly sick from tick bite fever etc. :)
Moonraker
04-05-2005, 10:39
I am glad jeremyh mentioned garlic... :) I rub it on my legs when tramping.
BTW Do not wear YELLOW clothing, use yellow tents, etc, as insects, including ticks, are like little magnets to the colour. :eek:
I have been bitten over 100 times by ticks in my life, and from a teenager, I always used vaseline, or silicone grease... I have never been even slightly sick from tick bite fever etc. :)
Looking at the various threads on Ticks there are many ideas on how to deal ticks and it seems a minefield subject. Can I suggest checking out the official line from the NHS Direct (National Health Service UK) site on this:
NHS Direct Online Health Encyclopaedia - Lyme disease (http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?TopicID=293&AreaID=621&LinkID=224)
Download a PDF file version of this entry here:
Encyclopaedia Topic: Lyme disease - PDF (http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/enpdf.asp?TopicID=293&AreaID=0&LinkID=0&TopicTitle=Lyme%20disease)
On prevention and what to do if you get a tick:
Prevention
The best method of preventing Lyme disease is to be aware of the risks when visiting areas where catching the disease is possible and by taking sensible precautions:
Ticks should be removed from the skin as soon as they are noticed. They are unlikely to spread the disease until they begin to swell up with blood. Hold the tick with tweezers near the point of attachment and pull it away slowly.
Dress appropriately in areas where deer live - wear long sleeves, long trousers (even tucked into your socks), check yourself regularly for tick bites and wear light-coloured clothes to help you see the tick as soon as it lands on you· Be aware of the signs and symptoms of Lyme disease and go to see your doctor as soon as you can if you think you might have been infected
People at high risk of getting Lyme disease (eg forestry and conservation workers in tick infested areas) can be vaccinated. The vaccination lasts for about 2 years and is 70 percent effective.
As has also been mentioned, it is important to disinfect the actual bite after removal especially if the head is left in the bite, in order to reduce the chance of infection.
Only ever got a tick once, I was well wrapped up as recommended but the blighter got me when I went on a "shovel recce"
Must have been bears doing it in the woods too ;)
starfury
04-05-2005, 12:58
Raw garlic is excellent for keeping ticks away.
Chop up a couple of decent sized cloves and swig them down with some water.
It might make you smell a bit but its better than lyme disease.
I think the Swedish and Norwegian army use this same method for keeping ticks of.
Andy...
Moonraker
04-05-2005, 13:30
A recommended method of tick removal in the wild if you do not have a tick removal tool (which it is recommended to carry) from the 'Wilderness Medical Society' (http://www.wemjournal.org/wmsonline/?request=index-html)
Wilderness Medical Society - The “Knot Method” of Tick Removal (http://www.wemjournal.org/wmsonline/?request=get-document&issn=1080-6032&volume=013&issue=02&page=0181)
Clearly described method with decent photo (click to enlarge)
You download the page as a PDF file (118 kb size) of the original article here (http://www.wemjournal.org/pdfserv/i1080-6032-013-02-0181.pdf)
Just to clarify, this is a simple open overhand knot:
http://www.realknots.com/p/k/sh1hlf1.gif
Keith_Beef
13-07-2005, 10:29
Is there a blood test?
http://www.igenex.com/lymeset1.htm
Lyme Antibody Serology
Lyme IgG/IgM Antibody Serology
The Lyme IgG/IgM Antibody Serology test is an enzyme linked immunoassay (ELISA) which indicates the presence of IgG and IgM antibodies to B. burgdorferi. The IgG antibody often persists long after symptoms have disappeared. The presence of antibody indicates exposure, not necessarily active disease. A positive or equivocal result must be confirmed by both IgG and IgM Western Blots.
Lyme IgM Antibody Serology
The Lyme IgM Antibody assay is another serologic test in ELISA format, and it detects the presence of IgM antibodies after exposure to an infected tick. IgM antibodies apppear early in response to infection, and this test may be positive two to six weeks following exposure. Because of the test's lack of specificity, a positive or equivocal result must be confirmed by an IgM Western Blot.
Lyme Western Blot
IgG Western Blot
The IgG Western Blot is a sandwich-type immunoassay performed in a manner that allows the antibody response to be visualized. It is a qualitative test and is generally more sensitive and specific than the ELISA.
IgM Western Blot
This test is a very sensitive indicator of exposure to B. burgdorferi. It may be positive as early as one week after a tick bite, and will usually remain positive for six to eight weeks after initial exposure. A positive IgM result with clinical history can indicate early Lyme disease, or even persistent infection in otherwise serologically negative individuals.
Antigen Detection
Lyme Dot Blot Assay (LDA)*
The LDA is an immunoassay for the direct detection of Lyme antigen in urine that reacts specifically to rabbit anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies. The rabbit antibodies are specifically targeted to the following B. burgdorferi antigens: 23kDA–25kDA (Osp C), 31 kDA (Osp A), 34 kDA (Osp B), 39kDA and/or 93kDA. If the Borrelia specific antigen(s) are present in the urine sample, a dot with a bluish-purple precipitate forms on the membrane. The limit of detection in urine spiked with sonicated B. burgdorferi is 12.5 ng/ml of urine.
Reverse Western Blot (RWB) for Antigen*
The RWB is an immunoassay for direct detection and identification of Lyme antigen in urine which specifically react with rabbit anti-B. burgdorferi antibodies. The rabbit antibodies are specifically targeted to the following B. burgdorferi antigens: 18kDA, 23kDA–25kDA (Osp C), 28kDa, 30kDA, 31kDA (Osp A), 34kDA (Osp B), 39kDA, 45kDA, 58kDA, 66kDA and 93kDA. If any of the Borrelia specific antigen(s) are present in the urine sample, bluish-purple bands are visualized on a membrane.
Keith.
Raw garlic is excellent for keeping ticks away.
Chop up a couple of decent sized cloves and swig them down with some water.
It might make you smell a bit but its better than lyme disease.
I think the Swedish and Norwegian army use this same method for keeping ticks of.
Andy...
It might make you less tasty (helps against mosquitoes too) but it doesn't stop them. And I'm a garlic fan (I eat it in just about everything both cooked and raw).
You need to check yourself everynight when you're out in the countryside. I even used to get bitten in my garden when I lived out in the sticks.
If you've got a hairy body it can be difficult to see them until they've fed on you and grown in size. If you're hairy and in a high risk area using a hair trimmer on your legs could be helpful
To avoid disease you need to get the tick off as soon as possible (before the end of the day).
This Website is helpful http://www.lyme.org/ticks/tick.html.
The only safe method to remove ticks (and I've tried just about every method on myself, kids and animals) is the tweezer method described on the website.
I was out today for three hours,
Don't know what happened there, anyway I picked up 9 of the the litlte blighters, one of the normal kind, and eight of the new micro version.
This is a regular occurence locally, it seems to have proliferated in the last three years. You can watch them on your clothing within an hour of being in the boonies, in this neck of the woods.
Neil
Moonraker
14-07-2005, 10:47
I posted an article on Tick Removal (http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=5832&highlight=tick) with the most up to date advice on removing ticks and Lyme disease. They also carry other diseases.
You can read some interesting statistics and detail on the spread of Lyme disease here:
UK-Health Protection Agency - Epidemiology of Lyme disease (http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/enhanced.htm)
There is a FAQ on ticks at the same site here:
HPA - Frequently asked questions on Lyme disease (http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/faq.htm)
and more details here:
Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) (http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/menu.htm)
If you have never seen a tick here is a photo and you can see how small it is on a finger nail:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/images/tickonfinger_mini.jpg
and a tick actually attached and feeding (magnified detail). Note how their body enlarges as it feeds on the blood. What you can't see in this photo is the dagger like mouth piece which has serrations to really get a good grip and why a good removal technique is necessary:
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/zoonoses/lyme_borreliosis/images/tick_bite.jpg
Finally details of frequency ofthe disease in the UK:
How common is Lyme disease?
An average of just over 300 laboratory-confirmed cases are reported annually to the Health Protection Agency (table). Most confirmed cases are acquired in the United Kingdom. Areas where infection is aquired include Exmoor, the New Forest, the South Downs, parts of Wiltshire and Berkshire, Thetford Forest, the Lake District, the Yorkshire moors and the Scottish Highlands. About 20% of confirmed cases are reported to have been acquired abroad - in the United States, France, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe.
Estimates suggest that between 1000 and 2000 cases of Lyme disease occur in the United Kingdom each year.
What are ticks?
They are tiny spider-like creatures commonly found in woodland and heathland areas. Unfed ticks may only be the size of a poppy seed. They usually feed on blood from mammals and birds but will occasionally bite humans. Peak times of the year for tick bites are late spring and early summer and in the autumn. Ticks usually take between three and five days to complete their blood meals. The risk of transmitting infection from an infected tick is low in the first 24 hours that it is attached, so early removal of the tick greatly lowers the risk of transmitting infection.
Finally, there is some new information on the distribution of ticks in the British Isles here:
NBN gateway - 'Information (metadata) for the dataset "Ticks (Ixodoidea) distribution for the British Isles"' (http://www.searchnbn.net/datasetInfo/taxonDataset.jsp?dsKey=GA00032 0)
Do check out the 'Tick Removal' link above as it has a lot of good advice and images to help.
Celt_Ginger
25-11-2005, 22:25
Is treating your cloths with something like permathrin (or however It's spelled) any good at helping to keep the little blighters at bay? i'm sure that it's not 100% effective, but to coin a phrase "every little helps"
We have to live with ticks here on Islay - even in the winter and as I spend most of my days in the field/forest/moorland/beach on this deer island ticks seem to affect many folks. Luckily I do not seem to suffer from them. The two reasons I believe: one - keep covered - Long socks, high boots, gaiters, long trousers, overtrousers. On top woollen undershirts, wool over shirts and jackets. (Good to be in a cooler climate) second - a thing I learnt from woodsmen in Finland when I used to work there, is to eat raw Garlic weekly - one or two cloves (not bulbs!)
I also give our working dogs garlic and although the shorter haired Border does get ticks when out stalking/beating/picking up they are much fewer that other colleagues who do not give their dogs garlic.
This is all unscientific but it works for me.....
Slainte
jeremyH
missy mycelium
27-11-2005, 20:17
I know a few people who are suffering from the effects of those little blighters! One of the guys caught it in 1997 and he is still suffering from it now. The doctors thought he was mad suggesting it was Lymes disease as it wasn't common in our area. (NRW, Germany) Wrong! Don't underestimate these tiny little guys. If you do start to feel any of the symptoms you must go and get it checked. I always get covered in em when I take my dogs for walks in the woods but always check myself when I get in. A good strip search should sort you out.
ilovemybed
28-11-2005, 08:18
Ah jeez. Not got a problem with creepy crawlies at all, but after reading all this post on Friday I had dreams full of the little blighters!