Ticks and Lyme Disease
Ticks are now known to be an urban as well as a rural problem and the HSE’s Health Protection and Surveillance Centre tells us they can be found in woodlands, grassland like football pitches, parks, fields, bushes, walking paths as well as lakeside and seaside vegetation. Warmer winters facilitate tick habitats and populations all across Europe, not just Ireland. Some ticks carry infections that can be transmitted to humans from a tick bite. Lyme disease is one such disease and a little awareness can help prevent getting infected.
We can continue to enjoy County Sligo’s beautiful environment safely by following a few simple measures, as advised by the HSE. By learning to remove a tick safely, quickly and cleanly, we can greatly reduce the chances of getting infected.
How to Remove a Tick
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you've removed it.
- Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water.
Tick bites can be prevented by:
- wearing long trousers, long sleeved shirt and shoes
- wearing a hat and tucking in hair
- using an insect repellent (preferably containing DEET)
- checking skin, hair and warm skin folds (especially the neck and scalp of children) for ticks, after a day out
- checking for ticks and removing any from your pets/ clothing/ outdoor gear
- removing any ticks and consulting with a GP if symptoms develop.