Fears of an incurable disease have been sparked after blood sucking parasites were spotted on children playing in a park.
Parents in Lancashire raised concerns after ticks were seen on children playing in Strawberry Valley Park where the grass is said to be overgrown, LancsLive reports.
One grandmother is warning others to be aware that any infected ticks could cause Lyme disease, a potentially debilitating long term condition.
Resident Elaina Turner, posting on social media, warned others to be aware of ticks and the dangers of catching Lyme disease if they are infected.
She said: “Warning! Bent Lane Park. A few children that have been in the play area and in the long grass have found ticks on them.
“When they have filled with blood, make sure you get all the tick out; it can lead to Lyme Disease and there’s no cure yet for long term Lyme disease.”
Warning residents to check their dogs as well, she claimed the area had been left to grow due to biodiversity aims of the council but queried whether this could be done elsewhere.
She added: “Leyland Council wants to leave the field for the bees and the butterflies but I am sure they could find another area to do this - not where children play and the dog walkers are.”
The grandmother added: “I checked my granddaughter and thank goodness I could not see any, but until the grass is cut, I won’t take her on there! They are very tiny but you will find them when they are full of blood.”
Her warning prompted mixed reactions from other residents. Kate Mason-Ridings said: “A lot of Leyland is looking unkempt at the moment with weeds sprouting up out of pavement and at the sides of road; I’ve already told my kids to stay out of that long grass.”
Sue Just said: “Thanks for the info. I walk my dogs though there,” while Rob Downes said: “Keep the kids in the play area until the grass is cut, but that still won’t get rid of the ticks."
But Dani Lou said: "Ticks really are everywhere....this isn't something to panic about."
The UK Health Security Agency says Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be passed onto humans when they are bitten by an infected tick.
People are most likely to encounter them when doing things in the countryside or in green spaces like woodland, some urban parks or gardens.
Ticks are most active in spring and summer but can be found all year round, with 3000 estimated cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in England every year.
It adds that Lyme disease is an 'uncommon infection' which can be treated with antibiotics for most people who get it, but if left untreated, it can spread to the nervous system and affect the skin, joins and in rare cases, the heart, in which case, injected antibiotics may be suitable.
The UKHSA adds that a 'very small number' of people treated for it can develop more severe symptoms months or years ago, but this is usually if the treatment is delayed or incomplete.
According to the NHS, Lyme disease is easier to treat if diagnosed early. An early symptom of it can be a circular or oval-shaped rash around a tick bite in some people, which can appear up to three months after a bite from an infected tick, but usually appears within one month, lasting for several weeks.
The NHS says the rash can be flat, raised, be pink, red or purple and may look like a bruise, with a darker or lighter area in the centre. It may spread but is not usually hot or itchy.
People affected may get flu-like symptoms for a few days or weeks, including high temperature, feeling hot or shivery, muscle and joint pain and tiredness.
The NHS website adds: “A few people who are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease continue to have symptoms like tiredness, aches and loss of energy that can last for years.
"These symptoms are often compared to fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. It’s not clear why this happens to some people and not others. This means there’s no agreed treatment.”
Not all ticks in England carry Lyme disease, it adds, although they can be found all over the UK, mostly in grassy and wooded places.
Tick bites are sometimes painless and can be removed safely using tweezers or a tick removal tool which can be bought from pharmacies, vets or pet shops.
