BEHIND THE HEADLINES SPECIAL BEWARE OF TICKS!
Widespread and common creatures, ticks may be annoying, but they are as natural a part of the wild environment as mosquitoes and horseflies. One thing has recently elevated them to pariah status, though: their importance as transmitters of a nasty illness.
That’s because some ticks carry a bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Untreated, this has some very unpleasant symptoms, including fever, feeling hot and shivery, headaches, muscle pains, lethargy and tiredness. Even months later, some develop more severe symptoms, which can include pain and swelling in the joints, heart problems or memory loss. So how do ticks pass on this disease?
