Climate change is responsible for the growth and reproduction of Tick-borne disease
Tick-borne diseases are becoming an increasing health risk in the UK. Ticks thrive after summer, and Lyme disease can cause skin and flesh allergies. Tick-borne diseases known as Ixodes ricinus.
Tick growth during the typically wet summers has led to an increased health risk.
This particular change in climate may be responsible for an increase in ticks that carry dangerous diseases, some academics claim.
European studies have shown that some tick-borne diseases, including the encephalitis virus, can cause inflammation of the brain. In countries such as Europe, the incidence of tick-borne encephalitis has increased fivefold over the past 30 years.
Professor Sally Cutler, a medical microbiologist at the University of East London, said the increase in tick-borne diseases is due to a warmer climate, which has improved the growth of ticks. In addition to this encephalitis virus, ticks can cause Lyme disease by overgrowing the sacrum, causing the infected person to develop fever and fatigue.
Ticks carrying the Lyme disease pathogen are already common in other parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, the UK and North America. The tick that can cause so much damage in wet summers is the Australian paralysis tick, or Ixodes holocyclus.
They are found along the east coast of Australia, from Melbourne to Cape York, where many Australian populations live, according to Stephen Doggett, director of medical entomology at New South Wales Health.
"The Australian paralysis tick parasite needs the same animal body but it also needs a fairly moist area to survive," Mr Doggett said.
"So these valley areas like Bellingen, which are very green and humid, are very suitable places for this particular species to live."
Are Tick numbers increasing?
It is difficult to say for sure whether tick breeding numbers are increasing in other countries, including the UK. This is because tick abundance surveys have a fairly local scale and are carried out in sporadic time frames, covering only short elka.
This is important, because the tick life cycle can usually span a very short period of two years, but it can last several years depending on whether or not it is infested. Tick populations can also increase depending on the local population that these ticks use as hosts (such as birds and rodents).
Because of the sparse data on tick infestations, therefore, it is difficult to estimate the extent to which tick increases have increased and whether this is part of a long-term trend. However, recent years have seen both the emergence of some species and the establishment of new ticks in the UK and other countries.
protect yourself
Avoiding tick bites is now the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases.
Always avoid tall grass and areas where ticks thrive (such as moorland and woodland), especially during the warmer months. When going outside, walk on marked paths and wear long clothing - cover yourself to avoid tick bites. You can also use insect repellent on your hands and feet.
If in any way you have been bitten by a tick or think you may have been bitten by a tick, it should be removed as soon as possible to avoid the risk of infection by seeking professional advice. If you become ill after a tick bite, see a GP as soon as possible.
