They risk becoming invisible and uncomfortable travel companions during excursions, picnics, trekking and walks in the woods, activities that will become increasingly frequent in these months with summer and holidays. They could think of making the return a little less pleasant: the ticks. “The presence and numerical density of this arthropod is increasing, thanks to various factors. We ‘experts’ are ascertaining this during our monitoring activity. Certainly climate change and the availability of guests” to ‘dining’ on, “they influence their spread. And if ticks increase, the pathogens they can transmit also increase and therefore the number of cases relating to transmitted diseases”, he explains to Adnkronos Salute Sara Epis, associate professor of parasitology at the University of Milan.
The expert gives the example of the Ticino park, “which is a bit like our ‘observatory’ on ticks: until a few years ago there were very few of them, now it is very easy to find them in different areas. They are areas where ticks have found favorable environments and availability of hosts, and have become particularly widespread. Returning to pathogens, evidence is growing on Tick Borne Encephalitis, tick-borne meningoencephalitis, caused by an arbovirus belonging to the Flavivirus genus. severe acute infection of the central nervous system and until last year the reports in Italy were localized in Veneto, Friuli and Trentino Alto Adige. Last year there was important work conducted by the Izs (Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute, ed) in the province of Bergamo which reported positive animals and there was also a human case. It means that even in Lombardy we are starting to see this pathogen and not just cases of Lyme disease. There is no need to be alarmist about it, but simply to keep our attention high”, she points out.
What to know about this unwelcome inhabitant of the greenest areas? Ticksillustrates Epis, “they are arthropods belonging to the Arachnid class, the same as spiders, mites and scorpions. They are ectoparasites with dimensions ranging from a few millimeters to more than 1 centimeter, depending on the species and stage of development. The body is rounded and the head, indistinguishable from the body, is equipped with mouthparts (rostrum) capable of penetrating the skin and sucking the blood of the hosts. In Italy, around 36 tick species are described and the most widespread and relevant from a health point of view are certainly Ixodes ricinus (the woodland tick), Rhipicephalus sanguineus (the dog tick) and Hyalomma marginatum”. The blood meal, during which the tick remains constantly attached to the host – it is not very selective and passes peacefully from rodents to ungulates, from foxes to dogs and humans – is accomplished “over the course of days or weeks”.
This is the most risky period. In fact, with the start of the summer, ticks abandon their state of winter quiescence and set off in search of a host. In the spring and summer months it is therefore more likely to be parasitized by a tick. “Ixodes can be found from spring, already in the months of February-March, and up to November-December, therefore several months“. The peak, “which obviously corresponds to the peak of cases of Lyme disease, is in the summer months”, therefore June-July-August. “The bite of a tick is not dangerous in itself – points out Epis – but during the meal of an infected tick can transmit pathogens to its host causing serious diseases. Ixodids are capable of transmitting, for example: Lyme disease, for which there is a high risk even in our country, rickettsial fever, tularemia, babesiosis, viral encephalitis and also haemorrhagic fever. Crimea-Congo, associated in particular with species of the genus Hyalomma”.
How can you reduce the risk of returning home with unwanted guests? It is important to prevent infections that can be transmitted by the tick, Epis reiterates, “especially when you go to the mountains, but also in the woods, on the hills or in the countryside, in particularly green parks, such as for example the Ticino park which is very rich in roe deer, rodents, and therefore welcome hosts for ticks”. Prevention must be implemented “when you go trekking, look for mushrooms in the woods, go on ecotourism, but also simple picnics on the lawn or walks. The first point is clothing: long trousers and socks that cover the trousers, to avoid that any tick exploits open spaces to sneak in.” The other important thing is “to avoid rubbing your legs against the grass and vegetation at the edge of the paths when walking, because ticks live on blades of grass and shrubs”.
It is then essential, upon returning from an outdoor trip, to “carry out a careful visual and tactile examination of the skin, something that people tend not to do. It is an examination that must be done on the whole body, especially considering that the ticks in the of a nymph, not an adult, they are very small, about a millimeter, so it is also very difficult to see them. They are dark, a small black dot, and you can notice their presence after a few hours when the blood meal begins: the part can. swell a little and then you can feel something, because in reality when ticks attack they inject anticoagulant and anesthetizing substances, so you don’t feel anything at the moment. Which parts of the body should you explore in particular? “It’s good to pay attention to the armpits, groin, legs, navel, neck and head, both for us and for our animals.”
And if you find a tick on your skin, “it must be removed immediately – suggests Epis – It is done with tweezers: you grasp it without crushing the body, as close as possible to the skin, and rotate it slightly so that you can remove the tick. The mouthparts are then applied with light pressure and pulled. The important thing is not to crush the body because otherwise it encourages the regurgitation of the pathogen. Then the possible appearance of symptoms should be monitored and you should contact your doctor or to the emergency room if you begin to feel sick, fever, and other flu-like symptoms, or notice any unusual skin reactions after the bite.”
Does the tick have any natural enemies that can be our allies? “In reality – concludes Epis – they have very few predators. Birds, spiders or reptiles are described that can feed on ticks, but in this case the concept now known to the general public of reduced grass mowing to increase biodiversity and therefore even predators, useful for other cases such as mosquito control, are of very little value for the tick.” Last useful advice given by the expert is “certainly the use of mite repellents for categories particularly exposed” to the insidious arthropod and another very useful operation in case of removal of a tick is “preserving it in alcohol as a support for possible diagnosis of disease”.
#Ticks #increase #woods #natural #parks #guide #safe #excursions