A MOUNTAIN rescue officer has warned hillwalkers to watch out for ticks following a 90% increase in the incidence of potentially fatal lyme disease which is exclusively transmitted through tick bites.

Tayside Mountain Rescue team leader Alfie Ingram said, “The first thing I would suggest to anyone walking in the countryside is to keep their flesh totally covered and keep all clothes zipped up and tucked in.

“When you get home make sure you shower and check your body thoroughly for the little black insects.”

He added, “They’re quite difficult to remove as they tend to burrow in a clockwise direction, so merely pulling them out could leave the infected mouth area under the skin.”

Perth-based lyme disease campaigner Tanya Ewing said people should seek medical advice and a course of antibiotics if they have been bitten.

“In extreme cases it can be mis-diagnosed as motor-neurone disease or MS as the symptoms can be similar,” she said, adding, “It can also cause arthritis, blindness and physical disability—I have developed carpal tunnel syndrome as a result of my infection.”

Environment minister Michael Russell chaired a meeting in Edinburgh yesterday to discuss the public health and economic impact.

He said, “Ticks are a growing problem and there is the potential for a significant economic impact on farming and sporting estates in Scotland.

“We must also not lose sight of the risk to human health from lyme disease, with 1000 human cases of lyme disease in 2006.

“It is easily treatable if diagnosed early, but we need to ensure there is awareness among GPs and all those who spend any time in the countryside.”