Lyme disease has more and more cases in the United States, a country with which its location is associated by default, but it is also affecting thousands of people in Europe, while expanding its geographical distribution.
It is caused by the Borrelia Burgdoferi bacteria, of which the ticks are carriers: those little animals that we have seen many times biting dogs or cats. Well, the bite of an infected tick can cause a multisystem inflammatory pathology, which if not detected and treated in time, would lead to a serious symptomatology. This does not mean that if one of these arthropods bites us (they are not insects), we will get sick, but since we are close to Spring, we should all know more about this - until now - unknown disease.
Ticks are common parasites of many wild, farm and domestic animals, and feed on their blood, but they also have no problem eating human blood. To achieve their purpose they have a structure in the mouth through which they can be attached to the skin.
I don't need to tell you that the risk is greater for those who live in rural areas, or people who work outdoors, but have pets without worming, or make an exit to the forest, it could be the way that children get a tick.
I want to clarify that according to En Familia, most of the bites of these animals do not involve transmission of germs
The 'European' ticks require a minimum period of adhesion to the skin to be able to transmit the bacteria (24 hours), and although it may seem like a long time, if it is hidden in a slightly visible place it will go unnoticed. The most obvious external symptom is the splinter-shaped rash: it is a flat red spot (or raised at the site of the bite), which may have a clearer area in the center. The lesions are large and can also expand in size. The course of the disease can be long and passes from milder to more severe phases if it is not diagnosed.
In case of observing a wound, it is very important to avoid re-infection by scratching, although sometimes it also happens that due to the remains of the tick inside the skin a scarring wound develops
A recommendation that seems very widespread, since if you bite one of these bugs and carry the Borrelia, there is no possible prevention, is to check the naked body of children after having been in a wooded area, or in the countryside, it costs nothing and can save us a scare. That and carry some type of insect repellent (although the tick is not useful) when we make departures from Spring. Of course, if you have pets at home, they should have dewormed skin.
Do you know how to act?
When our son has been bitten by a tick (I prefer it not to happen, but good to know), should be removed shortly, serenely (not to leave pieces inside). “The correct way would be to use tweezers with a narrow tip, like the ones we spend to shave, which are also used to remove splinters or spikes. With them the tick is held by the area of your mouth, as close as possible to human skin; a continuous and slow traction without abruptness, perpendicular to the skin, can end the extraction successfully.
The animal should not be twisted or crushed, and nothing to use alcohol, oil, petroleum jelly (they create a film around that prevents them from breathing and this would facilitate the regurgitation of blood). The area will then be washed with soap and water, and the area will be kept clean, cold can also be applied, which would reduce swelling.
You should also check if 1-2 weeks after a tick bite begins with a fever, the area of the bite does not seem to evolve well or spots appear on the body
Ticks can also infect us with a buttony fever, which begins a week or two after the bite, and has a high fever and small reddish-brown pimples on the skin.
