The general public in Britain is sadly not fully aware about the dangers of getting ill from an infected tick bite -  people in other parts of Europe tend to be better informed.

Ticks are tiny spider like, 8 legged, blood sucking parasites. They do not jump  or fly - they crawl on vegetation, "questing" for a suitable host - animal or human, They are about the size of a sesame seed and when engorged with blood about the size of a pea. They are present all over Europe, USA and the rest of the world in woods, heath, moorland, especially  bracken  (and even in some city parks), with certain "hot spots" such as the New Forest in England. They can carry disease.The name comes from an outbreak of "arthritis" in Old Lyme. USA  in the 1970's, when it was realised that all the adults and children involved had been bitten by ticks.

Not all ticks carry infection but it is essential that everybody, children included,  out in the countryside, in what ever capacity, knows what to look out for. Many people get bitten and the majority do not experience any problems. But the tick should been taken out carefully as soon as noticed, preferably with fine nosed tweezers. Any symptoms following a bite must be taken seriously and quick antibiotic treatment obtained.  The list of possible symptoms is a long one, mimicking other diseases, sometimes making diagnosis difficult, especially if the person has forgotten being bitten or has not been aware of being bitten. Some 40% of infected bites may have a "bull's eye"  rash at the tick site or other part of the body - that can spread over a large area - sometimes with a white spot in the middle. Symptoms can include "flu like" symptoms, severe head, neck or back ache, fever, aches in muscles or joints, dizziness , mental fog and more.  Lyme disease can affect any of the systems of the body. Unfortunately it is not always diagnosed  straight away  and  if chronic Lyme disease takes hold, it can be  very difficult to treat. Although a blood test can confirm Lyme disease, the tests are not always reliable. Unfortunately, sometimes doctors can misdiagnose Lyme disease as ME. chronic  fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthritis, even MS. But always remember - many people get bitten and have no problems –just know what to look out for.

It is possible that global warming is exacerbating the tick population, as well as the fact that moorland isn’t regularly burnt or sheep washed and dipped as used to be the practice. Although up to date figures for Lyme disease are difficult to come by in Britain, it is generally thought that the number of Lyme cases is increasing year by year.There is  quite a lot of research on the distribution of ticks. But there seems to be little research  that is specific to Britain, into the diseases they can carry. In Scotland, (the Army and some categories such as forestry workers) it is a notifiable disease – but not in Wales or England.  Until it is notifiable the true number of cases won't be known.

If you want to know more about this subject, here is a good place to start  BBC coverage is here and here.