h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Ticks - A12814490
Author: Skankyrich [the real thing] - U931109

Yuk. Ticks

Absolutely superb!!!

I know you've already mentioned about removing a tick and it's head at the same time, but it may be worth mentioning that if the tick isn't removed properly, a normal infection can take hold. The victim may not realise the importance of removing the head, so perhaps emphasising this might be a good idea.

Once again, well done!

VV

Can you mention something about tick-bourne encephalitis? I don't know what it is, but I know you get it from ticks, and I know I'm having to be vaccinated against it for going to Russia and that it'll cost me £120 for the pleasure...

Ooh, here's a nice site about it: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvrd/spb/mnpages/dispages/TBE.htm

How about something about tick prevention too - DEET is supposedly effective for one, as is wearing long trousers and tucking your trousers into your socks (mmmm... fasionable...).

The only ticks I know are the ticks you received for getting your sums right and the Ticks my grandmother had on her bed they were striped pillowcases irrelevant . But i thought it would pass a minute

'Can you mention something about tick-bourne encephalitis'

I used to work on the development of a vaccine for TBE, so I could contribute a few lines if you like? (I had been thinking of writing an Entry on Lyme Disease but you've probably beaten me to it

I think I've covered everything, thanks! Al, if I've got any of it wrong, let me know - the sections I've done on tick diseases are quite short, and I reckon you should crack on and give us the details in all their glory Let me know if I've got anything wrong

"They will happily sit on top of long grass, trees or ferns"

On top of trees eh? So the only likely candidates for tickage would be giraffes and birds then

How about 'They will happily sit in trees, on ferns and on blades of long grass'?

'Never work on Entries while ', is my new motto. Thanks BH... err... I mean...

Tickage! Like it!

Ooh, by the way, my first dose of the TBE vaccine is tomorrow...

I like this - it's really well written.

There is a fair amount of information on ticks in the Arachnids article (which you link to), but you have expanded on this nicely, particularly in the area of its parasitic behaviour and subsequent diseases.

The only small concern I have is that you don't cover how to identify a tick from other arachnids like spiders and mites, but the linked article does go some way towards this.

Icy

Thanks, Icy!

I know you haven't concentrated on any one kind of 'host', but I've read that due to pet passports, there are UK pets bringing back diseases from other European countries due to ticks, and some pets who've never been out of the UK are suffering and they've got no natural immunity. Is this something that's worth including?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/2822759.stm This article covers diseases you don't have in your article.

Thanks for the info on how to remove them - I recently picked up some little green tweezer things to add to our holiday first aid kit, but it doesn't mention twisting them anti-clockwise.

It doesn't matter whether you twist it clockwise or anti-clockwise - the mouth parts of a tick are symmetrical. The important thing is to twist it as you pull steadily and gently.

Ref Tick Removal:

A practical way of dealing with ticks, especially if out picknicking in the New Forest (where ticks are especially prevalent) is to cover them with something greasy like butter or margarine. This precvents access of air to the external slits on their abdomens. (These slits are the entrance for air to the lungs).

Vinegar (or alcohol). The all-round old-wives cure-all does work, but slowly - again, the uncomfortable tick will look for safer homes.

This sentence confuses me, quite effectively. Exactly what do you so with the alcohol and/or vinegar? Drink it, inject it, or apply it to the tick?

I think I've addressed all those

BigAl, I was surprised to hear that, as I've always been told that you should twist anticlockwise - I come back from most camps, being quite smelly and a smoker, with at least three or four to remove, and the only time I leave any is when I have to make a straight pull (eg in the corner of a bellybutton). I'm not disputing what you say - I know you'd whup me in a 'knowing things about science' contest - but I'm pretty sure it works better. I've re-written that paragraph and added a footnote. Is it ok now, or would you like me to remove the reference to anticlockwise altogether? I'm happy to take that out if you wish.

I'll be away from now until next weekend, as I'm on camp getting eaten by the things most of the week. I'll catch up with all the changes then

Sorry, I forgot to say:

Thanks, everyone

Yes, that's now.

(I've been trying to find an article on Lyme Disease I once wrote for Scouting magazine, to check the facts; butr so far I've failed. I put quite a lot of research/info into that, and I would like to re-write it slightly and put it into the EG - mainly so that I can locate it whenever I need it

I'll display my ignorance - Is Lyme disease the proper name for what I would call tick fever ?