Lyme disease threat on low-lying land

Sir, - I was surprised that your report (October 21) concerning the transfer of lyme disease from wildlife to people via ticks made no mention of the most likely candidate, the humble pheasant.

European research has claimed that though roe deer are the major host of the infective agent, borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, they are not a major source of transmission to humans, due to the fact that most ticks present on deer are adults.

This matters because most infections concerning humans are caused at the nymphal stage of the ticks’ development. Because of their size they can feed off the host’s blood for long periods while remaining undetected.

Though other small animals are effective vectors for lyme disease, the main culprit would appear to be the pheasant due to the huge number of them released into Scotland’s landscape annually. They outnumber many times any other viable vectors in our environment.

A particular danger is from pet dogs who are often exercised in areas which host a number of these birds.

Research published by the Spectator in 2016 identified low-lying areas in the Highlands and all of Tayside as having a particularly high incidence of infected ticks. It is difficult not to link this with the predominance of pheasant farming and releases now endemic in these areas. George Murdoch. 4 Auchcairnie Cottages, Laurencekirk.