Alert Over Rise Of ‘Killer’ Ticks In Scottish Cities

Bloodsucking ticks carrying a potentially fatal disease are increasingly moving into Scotland’s cities as a result of global warming, campaigners warned yesterday.

In Scotland, the number of cases of Lyme disease – caused by the bacterium borrelia which is spread by insects – has risen from just ten a decade ago to 177 last year.

This can cause muscle pain, serious flu-like symptoms, paralysis, blindness, arthritic, neurological, psychiatric and cardiac problems, and potentially death. A number of other related diseases can also be passed on by ticks.

Cold weather kills the insects or forces them into hibernation, but the recent warm weather in Scotland – as well as a reduction in the use of sheep-dip because of fears over the health effects on humans of the chemicals used – is thought to have resulted in a population increase.

Wendy Fox, chairwoman of the Borreliosis and Associated Disease Awareness UK group, said the tick population appeared to be increasing and spreading into urban areas.

Asked whether ticks were spreading into Scotland’s cities, she said: “They are all over the place. Anywhere with good vegetation cover, you will find ticks.”

Campaigners trying to raise awareness of the risks said in the countryside people should not wear shorts and should tuck their trousers into their socks. They also said commonly held beliefs about how to safely remove a tick – such as burning it or smothering it with Vaseline – actually increased the chance of getting an infection. The safest way is to use tweezers or a tick-removal tool to grip the insect close to the skin and then pull back without jerking or twisting.

Mrs Fox, a trained zoologist, added: “[In the countryside] use drawstrings on your wrists and a repellent that contains Deet. We don’t want to frighten people, [but] I was infected and it’s left me paralysed in a wheelchair and registered blind, so it can be very serious.”

She said the increasing tick population was probably caused by a number of reasons, including global warming. She added: “Another factor is urban sprawl and people are more involved in outdoor pursuits.”

An increase in the numbers of deer, which are favourite hosts for large ticks, and a fall in sheep-dipping, which kills them, were other possible reasons.

Removing a tick as soon as possible minimises the possibility of a disease being transferred. However, their bites are painless and they tend to seek out warm, damp areas such as the groin, armpit and back of the knee, making self-inspection important.

Ticks in southern Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Albania, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, the Baltic states and Russia can also carry encephalitis, a potentially fatal brain disease.

A spokesman for the Tick Alert campaign, which carries a map of affected areas on its website, said: “Travellers and holidaymakers visiting rural areas are at risk from tick bites, but also when spending time in public spaces, including beer gardens, picnic spots and parks and gardens.”

LIVING IN PAIN

KATRINA Anderson, 47, of Edinburgh, worked as a nurse before a tick bite gave her Lyme disease.

It was initially misdiagnosed as ME – chronic fatigue syndrome – and only two years after falling ill was she finally told what was wrong with her.

“It’s not as severe as it can be, but it’s bad enough living every single day with pain. It’s quite difficult some days,” she said.

“It’s like having flu. If someone touches your skin, it’s hyper-sensitive and sore.

“I have tinnitus, headaches, problems with my vision.

“I was bed-ridden at one point. I couldn’t lift my arms over my head or walk.”

Ms Anderson was forced to retrain to work in computer-aided drafting of plans for buildings.

She became ill in 1991 after taking her dogs for a walk.

“It was in Edinburgh. The dogs used to come back periodically with ticks on them. We think one of the dogs had an infected tick which got on to me. I didn’t notice straight away. I ended up being really quite ill, just like a virus that wouldn’t clear up.”

Mrs Anderson was not actually diagnosed until 1993, after she pushed her doctors to see specialists in infectious disease.

She said: “Before I was diagnosed, I questioned my sanity. I thought, ‘obviously it’s all in my mind’.

“I was so down at that point. I thought ‘I cannot cope with this any more’.”