What is a tick bite?

Ticks are parasites that can bite and feed on animal and human blood.

Ticks are arachnids (related to spiders), with 8 legs. They can bury into your skin and scalp, and stay attached to you for up to 5 days.

Tick saliva is a venom. It contains substances that are:

• anaesthetics (numbing)
• anticoagulants (make blood clotting more difficult)
• vasodilators (widen your blood vessels)
• anti-inflammatory (reduce redness, swelling and pain)
• immunosuppressant (lower or stop your immune system from working properly)

Some people are allergic to tick bites. It's also possible for ticks to pass on infections to you.

What symptoms are related to tick bites?

If you have been bitten by a tick, you will usually notice redness, itching and swelling around the bite.

Tick bites can cause a variety of illnesses. The most common are allergic reactions.

Allergic reactions to ticks

Allergic reactions to ticks can range from a mild reaction to anaphylaxis (a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction).

A mild allergic reaction can appear at the site of a tick bite. This can last for several days.

Symptoms of anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction) to a paralysis tick bite are:

• difficulty breathing
• swollen throat or tongue
• wheeze or a cough that's there all the time
• dizziness or collapse
• pale and floppy (young children)

What causes tick bites?

Ticks are parasites that feed on animal and human blood. Ticks can vary in size from the size of a pinhead to as large as a marble. Their size depends on the stage in their life cycle.

An adult tick is about 4mm in size before a blood feed.

Adult ticks live on grass and bushes. From here they move to a host, which is usually a passing animal or human.

While there are over 70 different types of ticks in Australia, only 17 feed on human blood. Ticks are especially common along the east coast of Australia.

In eastern Australia, most tick bites are caused by the paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus.

Use the tick bites infographic below to learn what to do if you see a tick on your body.

How are tick bites treated?

You should kill ticks before removing them from your body.

Trying to remove the tick before it's dead may cause it to inject more venom. This can cause a serious allergic reaction.

First-aid

To kill the tick safely, freeze it with an ether spray. This can be bought at a pharmacy. This should kill the tick and cause it to drop off within 5 minutes.

If the tick is embedded in your skin, use permethrin cream on the tick.

Once the tick is off your skin, wash the area with soap and water.

If the tick does not drop off, or can't be frozen, leave it in place and get urgent medical help.

The quick removal of a tick may lower your chance of becoming allergic to them. It may also lower your chance of getting a tick-borne infection or tick paralysis.

Watch this video from the National Allergy Council on how to safely remove a tick.

Do not try to remove a tick using:

• methylated spirits
• kerosene
• petroleum jelly
• nail polish
• oil
• alcohol
• a lighted match

These don't work and may cause the tick to burrow deeper into your skin.

You should not squeeze, twist or try to forcibly remove the tick. This makes it more likely to inject its saliva into you.

Tick allergy

If you have a tick allergy, get urgent medical help as soon as you are aware of an attached tick. Do not attempt to remove it without medical help

If you are allergic to tick bites, you should always carry an adrenaline autoinjector.

Tick bites should be managed according to your ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis

Tick anaphylaxis

Tick anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction. It can be life-threatening.

If someone you are with has an anaphylactic reaction to a tick bite, you should:

• lie them down
• lift their legs — this increases blood flow to their head
• give an adrenaline injector (EpiPen®, Anapen®)
• call 000 and explain that the reaction is life-threatening

If you live alone and have tick-bite anaphylaxis symptoms:

• wedge your front door open
• lie down and put your feet up on a chair

Complications of tick bites

Tick bites can pass on infections causing other illnesses. These include a group of illnesses caused by the Rickettsia bacteria:

• Australian spotted fever
• Flinders Island spotted fever
• Queensland tick typhus

These infections need the tick to be attached to you for at least 24 hours.

In Australia, tick paralysis is mostly seen in animals, but humans can also be affected. This is rare as the tick must be attached for 4 to 5 days to inject enough toxin.

Symptoms of tick paralysis may start a few days after being bitten and include:

• headaches
• blurred vision
• weakness
• poor balance

Q-fever can also be spread from ticks to humans. This does not happen often, but can happen through:

• tick bites
• breathing in tick faeces (poo)
• other contact with ticks — such as removing ticks from pets or shearing sheep

Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks

Australian ticks are not known to carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease in other parts of the world.

The Australian Government does not support the diagnosis of locally acquired Lyme disease. Instead, it recognises Debilitating Symptom Complexes Attributed to Ticks (DSCATT).

DSCATT is the term used to describe symptoms of ongoing illness linked to a tick bite. The most common symptoms are:

• fatigue
• disordered thinking
• sensory changes
• joint pain
• headache

Mammalian meat allergy

Some people become allergic to mammalian meat after a tick bite. This is called mammalian meat allergy.

Some people are also allergic to mammalian milks and gelatine. Gelatine is found in food products and in some medicines.

This will need to be diagnosed by an allergist or immunologist (a doctor who specialises in allergies).

If you have mammalian meat allergy, you will need to avoid eating all mammalian meats, including:

• beef
• goat
• horse
• kangaroo
• lamb and mutton
• pork
• venison

You will also need to avoid eating anything containing gelatine.

Consider wearing a medical bracelet, as you might be allergic to a blood substitute that is used in emergencies.

Can tick bites be prevented?

Use these strategies to lower your chances of tick bites:

Keep your skin covered in areas where there might be ticks. Wear a long-sleeved shirt and tuck it into your trousers. Tuck your trousers into your socks and wear a wide-brimmed hat.

Wear light-coloured clothing to make it easier to see ticks.

Use an insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus. Use an insecticide that contains permethrin on your clothes when gardening or in areas where ticks are found.

Avoid bush and long grass, especially after rain.

Brush your clothes and check your skin for ticks before going inside. Then place your clothes in a hot dryer for 20 minutes to kill ticks still on your clothes.

You can be vaccinated against Q-fever.

Resources and support

For advice on tick bites, call the Poisons Information Hotline on 13 11 26.

Visit the Tiara website for information about tick-induced allergies, research and awareness.

Find out more about ASCIA Action Plans for anaphylaxis. These are emergency response plans for severe allergic reactions.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.