The NHS has issued guidance over a bacterial illness that's especially prevalent between April and July. The infection is almost exclusively passed to humans through the bite of a parasite, which is crucial to remove quickly.
"Do you know how to spot and remove a tick?", the wrote to X this week. "Ticks can carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. So, it's important to be aware of ticks and to safely remove them as soon as possible."
suggest that around 4% of ticks in England and Wales were infected with Lyme disease as of 2024. However, this can fluctuate regionally and yearly, with averages as high as 10% in some areas.
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While tick bites can go unnoticed at first, infected individuals may eventually develop an oval or circular rash. This usually forms in the first one to four weeks of receiving a bite but can also appear up to three months later, lasting several weeks.
The rash may appear pink, purple, or red on white skin but can be mistaken for a bruise on black or brown skin. Many patients report flu-like symptoms days and weeks after the bite too.
This can include the following:
- Fever, feeling hot or shivery
- Exhaustion/ loss of energy
- Headaches
- Aches and pains
If left untreated, more severe symptoms may develop months or years later. Nerve problems and Lyme carditis are among them, the latter occurring when Lyme disease bacteria enter the tissues of the heart.
Thehas warned that such an issue may disrupt the normal flow of electrical signals between the heart's upper and lower chambers, a mechanism behind its beating. "Lyme carditis can cause light-headedness, fainting, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, or chest pain. Patients with Lyme carditis usually have other symptoms such as fever and body aches, and they may have more specific symptoms of Lyme disease, such as the erythema migrans rash."
In light of this, it's crucial to know how to remove a tick once it has embedded in the skin. The NHS has shared a step-by-step guide:
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