Depending on the species, these mites can transmit different bacteria, viruses and other infectious agents.
- There would be about forty different species of ticks on French soil.
- Lyme disease is the pathology most frequently transmitted by these mites, with approximately 50,000 cases per year.
- In the event of a bite, the tick must be removed as soon as possible to avoid the transmission of viruses and bacteria.
Be careful when walking in the forest this summer! Ticks can bite you. These small mites in particular transmit Lyme disease to us. This infection manifests as a red patch around the bitten area. If diagnosed and treated in time, it is possible to avoid complications: neurological, skin or joint disorders. But this is not the only risk associated with a tick bite: they can transmit different diseases to us. In The ConversationNathalie Boulanger, researcher and member of the Lyme national reference center in Strasbourg, describes them.
One tick, several diseases!
The risk depends on the species of tick, for example, so-called soft ticks are rarely dangerous. They almost never sting, in these rare cases, however, they can cause an allergic reaction, or a potentially dangerous anaphylactic shock. Hard ticks pose a greater risk to humans. They transmit zoonoses, diseases affecting humans and animals.
Fever, pain and sometimes malaise
The tick Ixodes ricinus is the most common in France. It is one of the vectors of Lyme disease, but can also cause human granulocytic anaplasmosis. This pathology is characterized by fever, joint and muscle pain and sometimes malaise. The cases remain rare today and concentrated in the East of France: there would be less than ten each year. This species of tick is also the cause of recurrent tick-borne fevers: these fevers generally last 3 to 5 days and are interspersed with more or less long remission phases. This symptom can also be associated with ehrlichiosis, when accompanied by muscle pain. Whatever the pathology, they are all the result of bacteria and can therefore be treated with antibiotic treatment.
Viruses and parasites
Sometimes ticks carry viruses. Like that of tick-borne encephalitis, the pathology is rare in Europe, but the number of cases is increasing. The countries most affected are located in Eastern Europe. Its symptoms are close to those of the flu, then encephalitis manifests itself in 20 to 30% of cases by a state of prostration, delirium or agitation. A vaccine exists today. In recent years, the tick hyalomma marginatum has been under increased surveillance as it can transmit Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. Some ticks of this species have been detected in the Camargue and in the Montpellier region.
In other cases, ticks can be vectors of parasites and infectious agents. ticks Dermacentor and Rhipicephalus can transmit rickettsioses to humans. They cause headaches and fevers and are characterized by the appearance of bedsores or lymph nodes.
How to protect yourself from ticks?
Not all ticks carry diseases, viruses or other pathogens, but it is better to take precautions in the event of a bite. After a walk in the forest or in a wood, inspect yourself carefully to spot a possible bite. If this is the case, the tick should be removed as quickly as possible using tick tweezers, sold in pharmacies. No product should be applied before removing the mite because it could regurgitate or the bacteria are present in its saliva. After removal, the area should be disinfected. In the following 30 days, if a red plaque appears, you must consult immediately. It could be a symptom of Lyme disease. If you suffer from headaches, nausea or any other sign, you should also seek medical advice.
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