RED ALERT
‘Vampire bugs’ hit Britain’s beaches, parks and woods – as bite risks being crippled or blinded
The bugs can also carry a fatal brain swelling disease
A FRESH warning has been issued for Brits to be aware of 'vampire bugs' while spending time at beaches, parks and woods this summer.
The sun-and-storms mix of heat, humidity and rain is the perfect cocktail and ideal breeding conditions for blood-sucking ticks.
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Many of the critters are infected and pass on the dreaded Lyme disease which can leave victims unable to move or speak.
Cases of bacterial infection have risen in recent years, with some English regions seeing higher numbers than others.
The bugs can also carry a fatal brain swelling disease called tick-borne encephalitis, a brain-swelling condition which can cause meningitis.
Dorset residents in particular have been warned to take extra precautions when outdoors this summer.
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"It's tick season, so whilst you're out enjoying our wonderful Dorset countryside and seaside, take care to avoid tick bites," Public Health Dorset wrote in a post on its website.
"Contact your GP if you notice a clear bullseye rash, or feel unwell with flu-like symptoms," they added.
Most people can be treated with a full course of antibiotics, but if left untreated, Lyme disease can spread to the nervous system, which can lead to paralysis and blindness.
Some people can develop severe symptoms months or years on from the infection, even if they were treated early.
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Bella Hadid suffered an excruciating 15-year battle with the disease, which she often shared moments of on her social media.
The supermodel, 27, was diagnosed with the condition in 2012 but was struggling with debilitating symptoms long before.
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Ecologist Nathan Orr, from Mendips Hill National Landscapes, said "The warmer and wetter weather this winter hasn't caused a die-out of populations you would normally see when it's a much colder winter."
He said wearing long trousers on walks and checking for tick bites are the best ways to prevent the disease.
Howard Carter, an insect and tick bite prevention expert, said "There is definitely an increase in ticks in the UK.
"Lyme disease is a very debilitating disease, it's the only disease carried by an organism in the UK that can be fatal.
"It can ruin people's lives."
Disease-carrying ticks on the rise
Climate change might also be leading to an increase in the number of ticks that carry dangerous bugs, some academics have claimed.
Studies in Europe have shown that tick-borne diseases, including the encephalitis virus which can cause brain inflammation, have become more prevalent.
Tick-borne encephalitis across Europe has risen fivefold in the past 30 years.
Professor Sally Cutler, a medical microbiologist at the University of East London, said the increase had been attributed to the warming climate that improved conditions for ticks.
The increased numbers of ticks might also be due to re-wilding in rural areas and a drive for more green space in cities and towns.
"A push to build parks and green spaces, particularly in towns and cities, can influence tick abundance," she said in an article for The Conversation website.
"While green spaces have many benefits to human health and the environment, these can also provide a suitable habitat for ticks - with a high risk of exposure to humans and their pets.
"On farms, areas set aside to preserve wildlife also provide excellent tick habitats. These are often close to paths."
Public Health England's (now called the UK Health Security Agency) tick surveillance scheme in 2021 found that two of the most common species of ticks had spread into southern England.
Their expansion has also been linked to rising numbers of deer, which act as hosts for them.
If you are bitten by an infected tick, symptoms should appear one to four weeks afterwards.
But they can come on anywhere between three to 30 days after being bitten.
Symptoms include a spreading circular red rash, which might look like a bullseye and flu-like symptoms.
Other signs to look out for include muscle or nerve pains or a drooping facial appearance when the nerves to the muscles around the upper part of the face are affected.
What to do if you get bitten
If you’ve been bitten by a tick, it will attach to your skin.
You should try to remove it as soon as possible. This helps to reduce the risk of getting a tick-borne infection, like Lyme disease.
his is a bacterial infection that causes a pink or red circular rash to develop around the area of the bite.
You should:
- Use a tick removal device or fine-toothed tweezers to gently grip the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull steadily away from the skin without crushing the tick.
- Wash your skin with water and soap afterwards.
- Apply an antiseptic cream to the skin around the bite.
Do not use a cigarette end, match head, alcohol or petroleum jelly on a tick.
Many pharmacies and outdoor stores sell tick removal devices. These are useful if you often spend time in areas where there are ticks.
If the tick’s mouthparts break off in the skin and can not be removed, this may cause irritation. But, they should fall out naturally in time.
Source: NHS
More on tick-borne encephalitis
Since 2022, TBEV has been discovered in humans and in ticks in parts of England.
Before now, the disease was only found in Europe, Russia, parts of China and Japan.
Most people who catch the TBEV will have no or only mild flu-like symptoms.
But in some cases can affect the brain and central nervous system and can sometimes be fatal.
Symptoms of this are similar to other causes of meningitis, and can include a high fever with headache, neck stiffness, confusion or reduced consciousness.
According to Encephalitis International, a charity which supports people affected by all types of encephalitis, fewer than two per cent of people die from the viral infection.
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If you have developed any of these symptoms after being bitten by a tick or spending time outdoors, immediately contact your GP or call NHS 111, mentioning where you have been and if you remember being bitten.