Tick activity peaks from April to September, and the chances of tick bites in humans and animals increase significantly. The grassland and forest areas in our city are wide and the population is large, and the outdoor activities of people in the warmer weather are increasing, and the probability of being bitten by ticks is also increasing.
What is a tick?
tick
Ticks are commonly known as ticks, ticks, grass crawlers, dog beans, eight-legged seeds, etc., which are generally reddish-brown or gray-brown, oblong-ovate, dorsal and ventral flattened, ranging from sesame grains to rice grains.
Ticks mostly live in meadows, farmland, bushes, or wooded environments and animal surfaces. Outdoor productions and activities may be in close contact with ticks. Ticks generally parasitize rodents, domestic animals, and pets on parts with thin skin that are not easy to be scratched, and often attach to the scalp, waist, armpits, groin, and ankles of the human body.
While waiting for the animal, the tick grabs the leaf or grass through the third and fourth pairs of legs, extending the first pair of legs, and when the host passes by, it quickly grabs and climbs onto the animal's body. After leaving the animal, the tick attaches to the grass and can bite people and suck blood. After the tick sucks the blood, the worm's body swells to the size of a soybean.
What are the dangers of ticks?
Ticks spread diseases by sucking the blood of humans or animals. If the pathogen is present in the host's blood, the tick will ingest the pathogen into the body with the blood, and a small amount of saliva from the tick may also enter the host's body, and if the tick carries the pathogen, it can transmit the pathogen to the host.
The scary thing about ticks is that they can carry and transmit 83 viral diseases, 31 bacterial diseases, and 32 protozoal diseases. After a tick bite, the tick's saliva causes peripheral vasculitis to cause local congestion, edema, bleeding, and thickening of the stratum corneum. Symptoms such as high fever, headache, vomiting, and diarrhea may occur after infection. Many people mistakenly think it is a cold and fever, and as a result, treatment is delayed.
If bitten by a tick carrying the new bunyavirus, it can cause "fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome", referred to as "fever with syndrome", which is characterized by fever, thrombocytopenia and leukopenia, and some patients can die due to multi-organ failure.
If bitten by a tick carrying the yellow fever virus can cause "forest encephalitis", which is characterized by sudden high fever, meningeal irritation, impaired consciousness and paralysis, and often has sequelae.
Forest encephalitis is a natural epidemic disease in forest areas, and the Daxinganling forest area of our city is the main place where the disease occurs.
What should I do if I am bitten by a tick?
After a person is bitten by a tick, the tick can be sprayed with alcohol and then removed with pointed tweezers. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite site and hands with iodine, alcohol, or soap and water.
Whether it is found on the surface of the human body or animals, or on the wall or ground, when cleaning the tick, do not use direct contact with hands, or even squeeze it, but use tweezers or other tools to pick it up;
Tick-borne diseases often have similar signs and symptoms in the early stages. Fever and chills are the most common symptoms, followed by itching, headache, fatigue and muscle aches, and some may experience joint pain and rashes. If you experience these symptoms after a tick bite or after a tick is removed, see your doctor as soon as possible and tell your doctor about your recent exposure to ticks.
How can I prevent tick bites?
1. Reduce exposure to high-risk places. Sitting and lying down for long periods of time in the main habitat of ticks, such as grass and woods, should be avoided as much as possible. Wear long-sleeved clothing, tie your trouser legs tightly or tuck them into your socks or shoes, don't wear sandals, and don't dry your clothes on grass or trees.
2. Protection before outdoor activities. During the tick season, products containing 0.5% permethrin can be used to dispose of clothing and equipment before carrying out agroforestry and animal husbandry activities such as gardening, tea picking, and grazing. Apply repellent to bare skin.
3. Check for ticks before entering the room. Ticks can attach to clothing and pet body surfaces into the room, so carefully inspect coats, backpacks, and pets to remove ticks in time.
4. Courtyards and residential areas should be sprayed with pesticides to transform the breeding environment of ticks.
Tips:
יהוה, יהוה, יהוה.
A "kiss" secretly is costly, and spreading diseases is annoying.
Mild allergies and ulcers, severe cases can cost lives.
Don't panic when you hear this, outdoor protection should be done well.
Long sleeves and long pants are tightened, and it is important to check the house.
If a tick comes to bite, don't pick it out.
Ticks should be removed quickly, and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible.
It's tick season, so keep the above principles in mind.
- "Tips for Dealing with Ticks"
Source: Hulunbuir CDC
Editor: Qi Yue
Editor-in-chief: Jiang Zhe and Chen Jingwen
Supervisor: Han Yonggang
Producer: Hong Jian
Director: Zhang Xiaoqi