WHEN former England rugby player Matt Dawson was bitten by a tick in a London park early last year, it caused a bacterial infection to spread through his body.
“I had two days where I felt awful. Very feverish, on the sofa, crashed out,” he said.
Eventually, he went to the hospital where he was diagnosed with Lyme disease.
“It was a terrifying time for my family and me that such a tiny creature had caused me to end up needing heart surgery.”
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, passed on to humans by infected ticks.
While it is hard to estimate the total number of UK cases, they are understood to have increased more than fourfold in the past 10 years. The peak season is April to October, though they are active all year round.
In around two-thirds of cases, a distinctive rash called erythema migrans will develop in the days to weeks that follow the tick bite.
It is often shaped like a bullseye, but not in all cases, and some individuals will have several rather than one.
Flu-like symptom is another strong indicator of Lyme disease with facial palsy being common in children.
Other people may experience tingling or numbness in parts of the body and, rarely, severe headaches.
If you get these symptoms and have also been bitten by a tick – or been out in a tick hotspot – then it is worth talking to your doctor. If left untreated, early localised Lyme disease can attack the nervous system and cause debilitating neurological problems.
However, if you receive prompt antibiotic treatment, it can successfully treat the disease and prevent further illness.
Matt said his diagnosis floored him: “I had heard of Lyme disease before.
It was something I had always associated with places abroad, on the continent, in America, wherever there were deer.
“There is no way that I would have walked through wood or a forest with my children and gone back home and thought, ‘right, I’ll just check for some ticks just to make sure everything is fine’. I just would not have thought of that.”
Ticks can be found in areas with deep or overgrown vegetation. They are common in woodland and heath areas, but can also be found in gardens or parks. People who hike and camp in such places are at risk of getting bitten.
Ticks do not jump or fly, but climb on to your clothes or skin if you brush against something they are on. They then bite into the skin and start feeding on your blood. It is thought only a small proportion of ticks carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, so being bitten does not mean you will be infected. Pets can also bring ticks home in their fur.
*Katie Silver is a health reporter with BBC News
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