26th March–1st April is tick bite prevention week
Ticks can carry harmful infections that can be transmitted to humans. If you are taking part in outdoor activities or simply enjoy being in the countryside, or parks and gardens where wildlife is present, you may be at risk from tick bites. As the weather gets warmer, people begin to spend more time outdoors and ticks start to become more active.
Many people are unaware that British ticks can carry and transmit a number of diseases to all manner of wildlife, livestock, domestic pets and humans. Other people have grown up in situations where they have been in regular contact with ticks but perhaps feel that, so far, they have only been a mild irritation and are nothing to worry about. Unfortunately, various combined factors now mean that we are at increased risk of contracting a tick-borne infection.
There is no need to panic about ticks but an awareness of their presence, the simple precautions that can be taken against tick bites, and how to remove them safely, is key to avoid contracting tick-borne diseases.
The Tick Bite Prevention Week website gives lots of useful information on avoiding bites and the safe removal of ticks; it’s well worth looking through this site before heading out into the countryside.
