A small puncture, sometimes imperceptible, may be enough to expose oneself to even serious pathologies. For this reason, in the summer, especially if you spend a lot of time in nature, it is important to pay attention to ticks, which are present not only in the woods of the Apennines, but also in city areas, parks and urban meadows, especially in tall grass in shaded areas, with hot and humid climate. The bite of these small arthropods can lead to dangerous consequences such as Lyme disease and tick-borne meningoencephalitis.
The Lyme disease it is generated by a bacterium called Borrelia and mainly affects the skin, joints, nervous system and internal organs. It mainly manifests itself with eczema at the site of the bite, a painless circular lesion with a bright red border and a lighter interior which, over the days, enlarges and can be moved on the skin. Lyme disease can cause headache, fever, arthralgia, muscle pain and if left untreated it can become chronic.
From 2018 to today there have been 82 reports of Lyme disease, with numbers in constant decline: 34 in 2018, 14 in 2019, 20 in 2020, 7 in 2021, 5 in 2022, 2 in 2023 (1 in the District of Carpi and 1 in the District of Sassuolo). Of these reports, 73 are confirmed cases: 29 in 2018, 12 in 2019, 19 in 2020, 6 in 2021, 2 in 2022.
If you discover that you have one or more ticks stuck in your skin, you need to remove them using the specific pliers for ticks that you can buy in pharmacies. The animal must be extracted at the skin attachment, without using chemical substances (alcohol, oils, creams, sprays). After removal, the skin must be disinfected and if the sting should remain in the skin, do not be alarmed: it is sufficient to extract it with the help of tweezers or a disinfected needle.
The important thing is to locate and remove the tick as soon as possible, on the same day, before it can inject potentially infected saliva (which takes several hours). If possible, it is useful to keep the tick inside a closed container and deliver it to the Local Health Authority Veterinary Service for subsequent analysis.
In the following 30-40 days you need to check the sting area for any reactions. If localized infections (eczema), fever and joint pain should arise, contact your doctor immediately medico.