Updated September 2024
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What are ticks?
- Ticks are arachnids, not insects. They are related to spiders and have eight legs.
- A common Australian tick is the Ixodes holocyclus – Australian Paralysis tick. This tick is mostly found down the East coast of Australia but can be found in some inland areas.
- There are four stages of ticks; the egg, larvae (0.5mm), nymph (1.5mm) and adult (3.5mm).
- Tick stages are seasonal, with larvae active during the autumn, nymphs in winter, and adults in the spring.
- The adult stage is the most dangerous, but any stage can lead to allergic reactions.
- Adult ticks are normally found on the tips of grass blades and in bushes.
- Adult ticks generally attach themselves to the skin on the head, scalp or neck of their host (a passing animal or human).
Health problems caused by ticks
Most tick bites are harmless. The most common health problems caused by ticks are allergic reactions. These include:
- Large local reactions
- Allergic reactions including anaphylaxis
- Mammalian meat allergy (such as beef, lamb, goat and pork).
Less common reactions include:
- The spreading of infections
- Tick paralysis (very rare in humans).
Signs and symptoms of allergic reactions to tick bites
Large local reactions
This is when there is a large amount of swelling and/or redness. This can last for several days.
Severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)
Usually happens when the tick is disturbed. This can be when the tick is accidentally scratched or the tick is not removed correctly. When scratched or squeezed, the tick injects more saliva into the person. It is proteins in the tick saliva that people react to.
It is important to remember that signs of a mild or moderate allergic reaction may not always occur before anaphylaxis.
If you have any signs of anaphylaxis, follow the instructions on your ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis.
How to remove ticks safely
What should I include in my first aid kit if I live in an area with ticks?
If you are not able to safely kill the tick, consult a medical specialist or hospital emergency department to have it removed.
This image shows an example of a tick on human skin.
Prevention and avoiding ticks
Watch this helpful video to learn how to prevent tick bites when you are out and about
Prevention of tick bites in bush areas
- Try to avoid going into the bush at high-risk times such as spring and summer when there are many ticks. There is also an increase in ticks after wet periods.
- Wear light coloured clothing to help spot ticks and check yourself regularly.
- Wear long sleeve shirt and trousers. Tuck pants into socks, and shirts into pants.
- Wear wide-brimmed hats
- Apply repellents to the skin. Use those that contain DEET or Picaridin and apply (and reapply) as per label directions.
- Soak clothing in permethrin washes (available from stores that specialise in outdoor gear). Follow label instructions for application and re-application.
- After being in an area known to have ticks, remove clothing and place into a hot dryer for 20 minutes to kill any ticks that may still be present.
- Check for ticks on the body, especially on the neck and head (scalp).
Avoiding ticks around the home
- Install animal proof fencing. This prevents host animals like bandicoots that carry ticks from coming into your yard.
- If there are areas around the home you have noticed ticks, put up fencing to help stop children and pets from going into those areas.
- Ticks do not like dry conditions! Keep overhanging trees, bushes, plants and leaves on the ground to a minimum, and mow lawns regularly.
- Some people choose to use insecticides (chemicals to kill insects) around their hom if they have ticks in the garden, You may need the services of a professional pest controller. Ensure that ticks are on the label of the insecticide you use.
- Regularly treat pets to prevent ticks; many dogs and cats die every year from tick paralysis.
Diagnosis of tick allergy
If you have concerns about a mild/moderate allergic reaction from a tick bite you should visit your GP.
If you have had anaphylaxis from a tick bite you should get a referral to an allergy specialist. A specialist can be located on the ASCIA website. You should also be prescribed an adrenaline (epinephrine) injector (such as EpiPen® or Anapen®) and given an ASCIA Action Plan for Anaphylaxis.
Currently, there is no specific skin or blood test for tick allergy (unlike a blood test for bee allergy). Your doctor will ask about the reaction to help with diagnosis. Sometimes, special blood tests will be done for mammalian meat allergy. Another blood test which measures an enzyme linked with anaphylaxis may be done in some cases.
Venom Immunotherapy (VIT) is currently not available to treat tick allergy.
To prepare for your allergy appointment read more here.
Can Mammalian Meat Allergy (MMA) be caused by tick bites?
Some people who have had a previous tick bite can develop an allergy to mammalian meats and products made from mammalian meat. MMA is not common. Being bitten by a tick doesn’t always mean you will develop MMA, but this type of allergy doesn’t seem to develop in people who haven’t been bitten by a tick.
Mammalian meats include but are not limited to beef, pork, lamb, kangaroo, goat, horse, kangaroo, venison, and other exotic animals including whales and dolphins.
Find out more below.