Health: watch out for ticks

Summer is also the season for ticks since it extends from April to November. It is therefore now, if you are in the countryside, that you must be particularly careful.

Article written by

Adelaide Robert (60 million consumers) – franceinfo

French Radio

Posted

Update

Reading time : 1 min.

Ticks, contrary to popular belief, are not confined to forests and undergrowth. A quarter of tick bites occur in gardens. Vigilance is required as soon as you set foot in tall grass. Why ? Because the tick can transmit a disease called borreliosis or Lyme disease. If you go hiking in the forest, wear long clothes and closed shoes. Avoid leaving the paths and sinking into the brush.

You can use repellents duly evaluated on ticks: the active ingredients are the same as for mosquitoes but ticks are a little less sensitive to them and it is better to go for proven and tested formulations. Finally, systematically look for the absence of ticks on the body after the walk: behind the joints, the ears, in the folds, around the genitals.

If you find one or more ticks on you, have two reflexes. The first is to protect yourself. Detach the tick before it transmits bacteria if it contains any. For this, never use ether because it makes the tick regurgitate and this is precisely what must be avoided. Better a tick puller or tweezers. Then, remember to disinfect the wound well and monitor it for a month. If a red plate appears, consult, it may be necessary to set up an antibiotic treatment.

Second reflex: participate in protecting others. Report online the place of your encounter with the tick on the site dedicated to this purpose Citique.fr or on the free application for smartphones, Signalement-Tique. This helps map tick areas, which is useful for the future and others!


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