By Chris King • Published: 21 Jun 2021 • 21:25
ALARM In Spain Over The Sudden Increase In Ticks,the parasitic mites that feed on blood
Several Spanish provinces have sounded the alarm in recent weeks over a sudden noticeable increase in the number of ticks, a parasitic mite that can transmit serious diseases, such as Lyme or Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, which has already caused three fatalities in Spain in recent years.
Out of the 900 identified species of ticks, 20 are known to reside in Spain, and as experts point out, they are insects that need blood to survive to complete their biological cycles and, to stay in a human being, they need physical contact, since they cannot jump or move long distances.
Crimean-Congo fever is the most serious that the tick can transmit, with the first recorded case in Spain being diagnosed in 2013 in a healthy young woman, in her thirties, who was admitted to the University Hospital of Salamanca, and since then, nine cases have been officially recorded, with three deaths.
Spain is currently the only country in Western Europe that has reported its appearance and scientists fear that it will get worse, with Dr. Jorge Romaní, a specialist in Dermatology, explaining how to remove them if they bite us: it is easy to remove the tick, but with great care not to break it and that no parts of the insect are left attached to the skin. The best way to do this is with tweezers, pulling it perpendicular to the skin, pulling slowly to remove it.
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Originally from Wales, Chris spent years on the Costa del Sol before moving to the Algarve where he is a web reporter for The Euro Weekly News covering international and Spanish national news. Got a news story you want to share? Then get in touch at editorial@euroweeklynews.com
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