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    Ticks

    Updated September 2024

    On this page

    What are ticks?
    How to remove a tick
    Tick allergy
    Mammalian meat allergy

    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).

    How to remove ticks safely

    It is very important that the tick is removed correctly to reduce the risk of anaphylaxis and/or reduce the development an allergy to tick bites. The safest way to remove a tick:

    • Freeze the tick, using sprays containing ether available from a pharmacy. This rapidly freezes and kills the tick within five minutes and allows it to drop off. Do not use chemicals such as methylated spirits or kerosene.
    • If the tick does not drop off or cannot be frozen, leave the tick in place and seek medical help to remove the tick.

    To prevent tick allergy, it is important that ticks are not forcibly removed or touched as this may cause the tick to inject more allergen-causing saliva into the person.

    Those at risk of anaphylaxis to ticks should have them removed by a doctor in a hospital.

    If you are in an area that is known to have many ticks, it is important not to scratch anything that you cannot see.

    What should I include in my first aid kit if I live in an area with ticks?

    If you live in or visit an area that has ticks, it is a good idea to include in your first aid kit an ether-based spray, such as Tic Off®, and a permethrin cream, such as Lyclear®. Ether spray can be used to kill adult ticks and the permethrin cream to kill the nymph or larval ticks. This allows the ticks to be killed while still attached to the skin and drop off.

    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.

    Tick allergy

    Learn about tick allergy including how to safely remove ticks, signs and symptoms, treatment and how to avoid ticks.

    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.

    Mammalian meat allergy

    Our Vision: Improved quality of life for all Australians living with allergic disease.