How Highlands are a hot-spot for tick disease

THE Highlands have been designated a Lyme disease high-risk zone by health chiefs.

Incidence of the potentially lethal illness, caused by infected tick bites, is believed to be soaring throughout the UK.

Now tourists are being warned that visiting the North of Scotland could put them at heightened risk of catching the bug.

It follows studies which show that rates of Lyme disease in the Highlands are up to six times the British average.

The advice from the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) is part of draft guidance which went out for consultation yesterday in an effort to halt the growing menace.

It recommends better training for GPs on how to spot symptoms and calls for a nationwide survey of cases. Although NICE advises the NHS in England, its guidance can be used across the UK.

However, campaigners last night urged Scotland to go further.

Janey Cringean, of the Tickborne Illness Campaign Scotland, said: ‘With so many people being encouraged to use the countryside in the Highlands, there is a clear risk of infection.

‘There has been a lack of awareness surrounding Lyme disease, not just among the public but healthcare professionals too.

‘We want a Scottish national plan for Lyme disease and associated tick-borne infections and a public health campaign because early intervention is crucial to preventing a tick bite becoming a devastating infection.’

As many as 15 per cent of ticks are infected with the Borrelia bacterium from sucking the blood of wild animals. They can pass on the bug after attaching themselves to humans, triggering Lyme disease.

A mild episode will produce only flu-like symptoms but in severe cases the victim can suffer chronic fatigue, palsy, depression, paralysis and heart problems.

If caught early, the infection can be treated with antibiotics, but left to develop the recurring ill-effects can be crippling.

In 2012, it was linked to the death of Scott Beattie, a 43-yearold gamekeeper from Ross-shire.

Former England rugby union star Matt Dawson recently disclosed he had heart surgery after contracting Lyme disease last year.

Yesterday’s guidance highlights a 2015 study by Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, which estimated 6.8 confirmed cases of Lyme disease annually per 100,000 Scots.

However, within that total, there were 44.1 per 100,000 in the Highland region but only 1.7 in Lanarkshire. New Scottish cases soared from 28 in 2001 to 224 in 2015.

The NICE paper states: ‘Infected ticks are found throughout the UK. Particularly high-risk areas are the Highlands and South of England.’

A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘We recognise more needs to be done to tackle Lyme disease. We are working to ensure diagnosis as early as possible.’