Ticks

What are ticks?

Ticks are small parasites that feed on the blood of animals and humans. Ticks do not travel far on their own. They attach to passing animals or people to feed on their blood and may then be carried to new locations. They are commonly found in bushland, long grass and other humid environments, particularly along the east coast of Australia.

Why preventing tick bites is important

Most tick bites do not cause health problems. However, ticks in Australia can cause health problems ranging from local skin irritation to more serious conditions, including:

• allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis and mammalian meat allergy
• infections such as Australian spotted fever, Flinders Island spotted fever and Queensland tick typhus
• tick paralysis (very rare)

Preventing tick bites is the best way to reduce these risks.

For more information on health problems caused by ticks, visit:

• Tick bites and tick bite diseases | Australian Centre for Disease Control
• Fact sheet - Australian ticks and the medical problems they can cause | Australian Centre for Disease Control

How to prevent tick bites

When you are outdoors in tick-prone areas:

• avoid bush and long grass where practical, especially after rain
• wear a wide-brimmed hat, enclosed shoes and light-coloured clothing that covers your arms and legs (light colours make ticks easier to see)
• tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks
• use insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, following the label instructions.
  

You can also reduce ticks around the home by keeping lawns mown and reducing leaf litter and overhanging foliage.

For more information on preventing tick bites, visit Preventing tick bites | Australian Centre for Disease Control.

How to check for and recognise attached ticks

After spending time in a tick-prone area, check yourself, children and pets thoroughly for ticks. Pay particular attention around the hair and ears, under the arms, inside the belly button, around the waist, between the legs and behind the knees. Check worn clothing for ticks. Placing clothing in a hot dryer for 20 minutes can kill any ticks.

An attached tick may look like a small dark freckle, scab or mole, or feel like a small lump on the skin. Ticks can be very small when they first attach but become larger and may be easier to see or feel as they feed.

What to do if you find an attached tick

If you do not have a tick allergy

• Freeze the tick where it is using an ether-containing spray available from pharmacies. Follow the instructions on the spray. After a few minutes, if the tick is not moving its legs, it is dead. If it is not dead or you cannot see if the legs are moving, you can spray again following the instructions on the spray. This should kill the tick. Leave the dead tick to drop off by itself.
• For very small ticks that can hardly be seen (nymph or larval ticks), carefully dab or drop a generous amount of permethrin cream onto the tick to kill it where it is.
• Once the tick has come off, wash the area with soap and water.
• If you cannot freeze the tick or the tick does not drop off, leave it in place without disturbing it and seek urgent medical help.

Do not:

• scratch, squeeze, twist, disturb or forcibly remove the tick - this may cause it to inject more saliva, which may trigger an allergic reaction or increase the chance of disease
• apply methylated spirits, kerosene, petroleum jelly, nail polish, oil or alcohol - these do not work and may cause the tick to burrow deeper into the skin.

Seek medical advice if you become unwell after a tick bite, particularly if you develop a fever, rash, flu-like symptoms, problems walking or increasing weakness.

The healthdirect helpline is available on 1800 022 222 for health advice from a registered nurse, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

For more information on the safe removal of ticks, visit:

• Preventing tick bites | Australian Centre for Disease Control
• National Allergy Council video on how to safely remove a tick
• Management of tick bites in Australia | Australian Centre for Disease Control.

More information

• Tick bites - symptoms, treatments and prevention | healthdirect
• Preventing tick bites | Australian Centre for Disease Control
• Tick bites and tick bite diseases | Australian Centre for Disease Control
• Tick bites – Resources and fact sheets for the general public | Australian Centre for Disease Control.