http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015 ... ers-to-act

Article in Gruniad on Lyme disease.
Could it be because its endemic in Richmond park (read London) the rest of us can take our chances?

I've seen more ticks locally this year, than I've ever seen before.

I've managed to pick 2 up this year, took a really bad reaction to the first one. My leg was so swollen I could hardly walk for a week!

Bearbonesnorm wrote:I've seen more ticks locally this year, than I've ever seen before.

The mild winters we've been having don't kill them off. I managed to pick one up in France in January. There appears to be no tick 'season' anymore.

I've had six this year and four last year.

I've stopped counting - and have had two courses of antibiotics in the past three years.

Is there a doctor in the house?

Whats the difference between Lyme and TBE and does the TBE vaccination protect you from Lyme?

Preventing tick-borne encephalitis

You can reduce your risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) by getting vaccinated and by taking precautions to avoid tick bites when in risk areas.
TBE vaccination

Vaccination against TBE is recommended for anyone who may be at risk of TBE through their work or travels. It provides protection for more than nine out of every 10 people who have it.

The vaccination is not available on the NHS, so you will need to pay for it privately. The cost of the vaccination course can vary, but it is usually around £50-70 per dose.

The vaccination is given as an injection and requires a course of three doses for full protection. The second dose is given one to three months after the first, and a third dose is given five to 12 months after the second.

If necessary, the course can be accelerated, with the first and second doses given two weeks apart. This shorter course offers rapid short-term protection for at least nine in every 10 people who have it. If you have this accelerated schedule, you should have the third dose five to 12 months after the second as usual if you continue to be at risk.

Booster doses are recommended every three years if you continue to be at risk.

Tbe is a virus that causes encephalitis. Or meningitis. I thought it wasn't really seen in UK.

Lyme is a kind of a bacteria, sort of transmitted by the bite of a tick.

Tbe inoculation will not protect you from anything other than tbe.

NHS info: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-disea ... ction.aspx

Thankfully don't seem to have any ticks up here despite thousands of woolly buggers, heather and bog, maybe the lack of bracken and trees?

Moder-dye wrote:Thankfully don't seem to have any ticks up here despite thousands of woolly buggers, heather and bog, maybe the lack of bracken and trees?

Sheep are dipped. Periodically.
Deer and wetland birds are the main carriers.

It's pretty much a deer only problem round here, there's little sheep activity.

Justchris wrote:

Moder-dye wrote:Thankfully don't seem to have any ticks up here despite thousands of woolly buggers, heather and bog, maybe the lack of bracken and trees?

Sheep are dipped. Periodically.

The ewes and lambs are dipped at different times, the dip is so strong that it messes up the ability of the sheep to smell each other so if you dipped them all at the same time then they wouldn't be able to find one another. So you dip the ewes but not the lambs which means that the ewes can find their lambs then a few weeks later you dip the lambs but not the ewes so the lambs can find their mums.

Though they are often known as bracken ticks they actually can be found in most long vegetation including grass and heather.

Gruniad update.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... t-outdoors

Couple of interesting comments below article.

Mariner wrote:Is there a doctor in the house?

Whats the difference between Lyme and TBE and does the TBE vaccination protect you from Lyme?

Preventing tick-borne encephalitis

You can reduce your risk of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) by getting vaccinated and by taking precautions to avoid tick bites when in risk areas.
TBE vaccination

Vaccination against TBE is recommended for anyone who may be at risk of TBE through their work or travels. It provides protection for more than nine out of every 10 people who have it.

The vaccination is not available on the NHS, so you will need to pay for it privately. The cost of the vaccination course can vary, but it is usually around £50-70 per dose.

The vaccination is given as an injection and requires a course of three doses for full protection. The second dose is given one to three months after the first, and a third dose is given five to 12 months after the second.

If necessary, the course can be accelerated, with the first and second doses given two weeks apart. This shorter course offers rapid short-term protection for at least nine in every 10 people who have it. If you have this accelerated schedule, you should have the third dose five to 12 months after the second as usual if you continue to be at risk.

Booster doses are recommended every three years if you continue to be at risk.

That's interesting. Thanks for the info.

Work colleague caught lymes in the new forest from a tick. Not nice at all and took a while for a diagnosis.