Tick Season Begins

Ticks, Disease Vectors
Ticks are parasites from the arachnid family, which require a blood meal for their development and reproduction. After nesting on the skin of an animal or human, ticks suck blood and can transmit disease agents if they are infected themselves. Warmth, light, and moisture favor the life and reproduction of ticks. Their peak activity season is spring and early summer (April, May, June), but they can also be found in early autumn, depending on climatic conditions.

Ticks typically appear in deciduous forests, mixed forests, parks, and can even be found in gardens. They avoid areas without trees, bushes, and grass. They are located on grass and the underside of leaves, often invisible, and can easily attack a host. Equipped with special sensory organs that respond to temperature, scent, and touch, they can precisely locate their prey. They can nest anywhere on the body, but usually choose areas where the skin is more sensitive and where the body temperature is slightly elevated.

Being outdoors, especially among low vegetation, carries a higher risk of contact with ticks. In the continental regions of our country, the most common is the forest tick (Ixodes ricinus).

The risk group exposed to ticks includes people who professionally or recreationally spend a lot of time in nature in areas where there are natural tick hotspots: foresters, forest workers, soldiers, hikers, hunters, excursionists, tourists.

In the area of Bosnia and Herzegovina, most people have experienced a tick bite at least once in their lifetime.

Ticks as Vectors of Various Disease Agents
Ticks can transmit various pathogens that cause different diseases in humans, wild, and domestic animals. Humans are infected after being bitten by an infected tick, which transmits the agents through saliva, but also through crushing the tick over damaged skin or mucous membranes.
The most common tick-transmitted pathogens are species of the genus Borrelia, which cause Lyme disease, one of the most common tick-borne diseases today.

Besides bacteria, ticks also transmit various viruses, of which the most significant is the tick-borne encephalitis virus. The tick-borne encephalitis virus can cause serious health problems in humans as well as animals.

At the site of a tick bite, minor redness and swelling may occur, lasting several days with mild itching. This is a consequence of the irritative action of foreign substances introduced into the skin by the tick bite.

If the tick was infected, the tick bite will lead to the transmission of microorganisms, which can result in infection in humans and the appearance of disease symptoms, most commonly 1-2 weeks after the tick bite. If symptoms of illness appear a few days after a tick bite - such as fever, muscle and joint pain, general weakness (similar to flu), or headaches, nausea, vomiting, and the appearance of skin changes (various forms of rash), it is necessary to consult a doctor to timely determine the disease and carry out appropriate treatment.

Most diseases transmitted by ticks are milder and can be treated at home, while a smaller number of cases require examination and treatment in a hospital.

Recommended Personal Protection Measures

• Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for staying in nature (long sleeves, trousers tucked into socks, closed shoes). Avoid dark-colored clothing (on which ticks are harder to spot) and materials like wool, flannel, as ticks easily latch onto them.
• Walk on marked paths, avoid moving through bushes, lying on the ground, placing clothing items on bushes and the ground.
• Apply repellents (agents that repel ticks) to bare and more exposed body parts, and possibly to clothing. (use them according to the manufacturer's instructions – check product instructions!).
• Upon returning from nature, change clothing and carefully inspect the entire body. Especially search areas of the body with softer skin (behind the ears, the back of the head, neck, groin, armpits, area behind the knees, navel...).
• In children, ticks are often found on the head – this is because the child is low and plays more in the grass than adults, so they easily pick up ticks on the head or upper body.
• Shower upon returning from nature.
• If a tick is noticed, it should be removed from the skin as soon as possible.

Procedure in case of a tick bite
If a tick is noticed on the skin, it is important to remove it properly as soon as possible – the risk of infection is greater the longer the tick is attached. Improper removal of ticks increases the possibility of transmitting infection to humans. The site where the tick nested should not be smeared with alcohol, cream, oil, nail polish, kerosene, or burned with a flame. Do not pull the tick abruptly or squeeze and crush it. All of the above leads to its contracting and increased secretion of a larger amount of secretions and disease agents into the human body (if the tick is infected), thus making it easier to transmit the infection. Ticks should not be touched with bare hands, and after removal, the bite site should be coated with an antiseptic.

ATIX Tick Removal Kit
Spray and tweezers

ATIX (a set for safe tick removal) is a medical device approved for use in humans and animals.

ATIX spray produces a strong cryogenic effect (freezing), acting on the metabolism of the tick, which limits and prevents fluids located in the tick's head, which may contain pathogenic microorganisms, from being transferred to humans or animals. ATIX causes freezing and contraction of the sucker walls, thereby interrupting the flow of fluids that may contain pathogenic microorganisms.

Simple application allows for quick and efficient removal of ticks entirely.

ATIX is a modern product that effectively prevents the transmission of diseases during the removal of parasites from the skin.

*This blog article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. For any health-related treatment, we advise you to consult your doctor or pharmacist.