The doctor warned about the danger of ticks and talked about protection measures.

With the onset of the warm season, ticks become active in the grass and shrubs at a height of 25 cm to a meter, lying in wait for their victims. They are able to smell a person or animal at a distance of 10-15 m. On April 30, Vladimir Neronov, MD, an infectious disease specialist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic), told Izvestia about the main dangers of ticks and effective ways to protect against them.

According to the expert, once on clothes, the parasite looks for a place to bite, preferring the head, neck, the area behind the ears and the bends of the limbs. The bite itself is almost invisible, so the tick can remain on the body for up to 10 days until it is saturated with blood.

The main danger is caused by diseases transmitted by ticks: tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis.

"In the European part, the infection rate of ticks with encephalitis ranges from 2 to 5%, while in Siberia and the Far East this figure is 15-20%. Borreliosis infection is transmitted by ticks 40-70 times more often than encephalitis," Neronov noted.

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Now ticks mainly carry borreliosis and spotted fever.

To protect against ticks, the doctor recommends following several important rules. In nature, you should wear light-colored monophonic clothes with long sleeves and a headdress. Mutual examinations should be carried out every two hours, paying special attention to the hairy areas of the body. When spending the night in nature, it is necessary to clear the area within a radius of 20-25 m from dry grass and branches.

After returning home, it is important to change clothes immediately, examine them carefully and wash them. Effective repellents should be used for additional protection.

If you find a stuck tick, you should immediately seek medical help. The administration of gamma globulin in the first 72 hours after a bite can prevent the development of encephalitis. If it is impossible to consult a doctor, you should carefully monitor the condition for two weeks, paying attention to the temperature and possible redness at the bite site.

"If your health worsens, the temperature rises, or redness appears around the bite in the form of a ring, immediately consult an infectious disease specialist, as these symptoms may indicate the onset of the disease," the doctor warned.

The specialist stressed that timely vaccination remains the most reliable way to protect against tick-borne encephalitis, especially for residents of endemic regions.

Earlier, on April 25, dermatovenerologist and cosmetologist Valeria Shapovalova told Izvestia how to protect herself from mosquito and tick bites. So, after a mosquito bite, antihistamine ointments or creams with hydrocortisone should be used. They reduce itching and inflammation. With multiple bites, you can take an antihistamine inside. In addition, some people use natural oils, such as citronella oil, to repel insects. But it is important to remember that oils act much weaker and less time in comparison with chemical repellents.