Light-colored, fully body-covering clothing is recommended to prevent ticks.

Head of the Department of Medical Microbiology, Biruni University Faculty of Medicine

Torun, whose views were included in the statement made by the hospital, stated that ticks are commonly found in tropical and subtropical regions and that 907 tick species have been identified to date, while there are 47 tick species in Turkey.

Emphasizing that ticks feed by sucking blood in all developmental stages, Torun said, "While soft ticks complete their feeding in a short time, hard ticks suck blood for 7-9 days until they are full. During this period, they can transmit various disease agents to humans."

Torun, drawing attention to the fact that ticks can transmit various viruses, bacteria and protozoa, shared the information, "Ticks play a role in the transmission of many serious diseases such as Crimean -Congo Hemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), Lyme disease, Tularemia, Babesiosis. Some of these diseases can be fatal. Animals in risky areas can carry the disease without symptoms and diseases can be transmitted from these animals through ticks."

Precautions to be taken to protect against ticks

Torun noted that risky areas in terms of tick contact are forest areas, animal shelters and picnic areas, and stated that light-colored clothing should be preferred so that ticks can be easily seen and that the body is completely covered.

Torun also touched on the need to protect open areas such as the hands, ankles and neck, and said, "When you return home, areas such as behind the ears, scalp and groin should definitely be checked. If a tick is detected, it should be removed without delay or a health institution should be consulted."

Stating that removing a tick is also a technical process, Torun noted that intervention with bare hands should be avoided.

Torun stated that it is of great importance to remove the attached tick as soon as possible, and that removing the tick as soon as possible will reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Torun warned that if a person cannot remove a tick on their own, they should go to the nearest health institution and made the following assessments:

"After wearing protective gloves, the person should hold the tick body tightly with a pair of forceps as close to the skin as possible and pull continuously. During this process, care should be taken not to rotate or break the tick. Otherwise, the tick's mouthparts remain in the skin and increase the risk of potentially infectious material infecting the wound. Smoking or pouring cologne or similar substances on ticks should not be done as they will cause the tick to contract and transfer its body contents to the person it sucked blood from. After the tick is removed, it should be placed in a capped bottle containing alcohol and thrown away. After the tick is removed, the wound should be thoroughly cleaned and monitored for possible secondary infections."

Torun underlined that the most effective fight against ticks is pesticide application, and stated that chemicals such as DDT, Toxophene, Chlordane and BHC, which are used to kill or remove harmful insects, can be used, but these applications should be carried out under control and by experts.

Torun pointed out that tick repellents containing DEET can also be used for protection, and emphasized the importance of using personal protective equipment against the risk of transmission through blood or body fluids of infected people and animals.

Torun warned that in case of contact, personal protective equipment such as gloves, aprons and masks should be used.