The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has provided helpful guidance on preventing tick bites, which can result in the bacterial illness known as Lyme disease.
On Wednesday, in observance of Tick Awareness Day, Dr. Paul McKeown, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at HSE National Health Protection, advised everyone spending time outside in the upcoming months to take precautions against tick bites.
In the spring and summer, people are more inclined to spend time outside. This comprises persons who work or travel in woods, parkland, and heathland, particularly in grassy regions; it also includes campers, mountain bikers, and ramblers. Lyme illness can be avoided by avoiding tick bites, he claimed.
“We anticipate seeing the highest number of Lyme disease cases in Ireland starting in April, as this is the month with the highest concentration of ticks.”
In Ireland, ticks can be found in both rural and urban locations, and they are active from spring until fall. These tiny, spider-like organisms are more prevalent and active during the summer and feed on the blood of people, animals, and birds.
It is unknown how many people have Lyme disease specifically. The milder types of Lyme disease probably affect between 200 and 400 people in Ireland each year.
Wearing long pants, long sleeve shirts, shoes, tucking in hair, donning a hat, checking skin, hair, and warm skin folds (particularly the neck and scalp of children) for ticks, checking for ticks after a day out, removing any that are found on your pets, clothing, or outdoor gear, and seeing a doctor if symptoms appear are all ways to prevent tick bites.
Adult adults are most frequently bitten by ticks on the arms and legs. However, they have the ability to bite any region of the body, particularly exposed, heated, sweating areas. Ticks most frequently attack children in the head and neck area.
These are the regions to keep hidden and safeguard. These are also the areas to examine after being outside. Throughout the day, you can check on your kids and yourself.
Many infected individuals may not exhibit symptoms, and the majority of Lyme disease cases are quite mild. A skin rash, sometimes called an erythema migrans or Bullseye rash, is the most typical indicator of infection.
However, in a tiny percentage of cases, the infection may be more severe and result in serious heart, joint, and nervous system diseases.
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