AS TICK season begins, charities are warning of the dangers of lyme disease, a bacterial infection contracted via tick bites, as cases rise in the UK, Europe and North America.
At the turn of the century there were only around 250 reported cases of lyme disease in the UK each year, but now the government estimates around 2,000 to 3,000 people contract it annually – roughly eight people per day. However, the charities Caudwell LymeCo and Lyme Disease UK claim the true number could be around 45,000.
Early treatment with antibiotics is generally effective, but if symptoms are not spotted early, the disease can be life-changing.