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Check for ticks when you spend time outdoors this summer

Public Health England advises people on how to reduce the risk of tick-borne infections

Public Health England is advising people to check for ticks if they spend time outdoors during the summer, to reduce the risk of infections such as Lyme disease. 

Ticks can transmit bacteria that cause infections such as Lyme disease, of which there are up to 2,000 cases per year, making it the most common tick-borne infection in the UK. Symptoms include fatigue, and muscle and joint pain.

Jolyon Medlock, Public Health England's head of medical entomology, said although the number of Lyme disease cases tripled between 2001 and 2012, many people remain unfamiliar with ticks, the disease risks and how to prevent tick bites.

He added: ‘As children are bitten mostly on the head, this is a very important area to check particularly behind the ears, at the hairline and on the neck.

‘It is recommended tweezers or a tick tool be used to remove ticks, because other methods may lead to infection.’

A fact sheet on ticks and infection prevention can be found here.