Some species of ticks can transmit viruses, bacteria or parasites to animals and humans. In France, the main human disease linked to ticks is Lyme disease. In case of infection, a halo rouge characteristic appears on the skin a few days after the bite, most often around the latter, and extends in a circular fashion. In the absence of treatment, the disease can cause cutaneous, muscular, neurological and joint damage, which is sometimes very debilitating.
To avoid this risk, some precautions can be taken :
- use repellentsby favoring those with a marketing authorization and by respecting their conditions of use: all of this information appears on the label, the packaging and/or the instructions for the products;
- wear closed shoes and covering clothes light-coloured, to better spot ticks on the surface of the fabric;
- avoid walking in the middle of tall grass, bushes and low branches and favor marked paths ;
- do you inspect when you return from your walks;
- in the event of a sting, immediately detach attached ticks using a tick puller, fine tweezers or, failing that, your fingernails. Never use ether or any other product and disinfect the wound;
- watch the sting area for several days and consult your doctor in case of symptoms.
> Find our recommendations in pictures (PDF)
A quarter of tick bites in gardens
If tick bites are often associated with walks in the forest, this risk also exists in gardens: thus, 25% of tick bites occur in gardens. These data come from the Signalement Tique application developed by INRAE and the Permanent Center for Environmental Initiatives of Nancy-Champenoux, as part of the participatory research program CiTICin which ANSES is a partner.