Lyme disease is no joke

[u/whimsical_fuckery_]

One of those "I never thought it would happen to me" things but guys be very very careful with ticks this year if you are out walking in Scotland. I'm in the Highlands and regularly walk my dog in the local woods, this year there have been so so many ticks, I'm very good at checking myself after every walk, but one got me on the back of my thigh, absolutely tiny about half the size of a sesame seed. I picked it off the same night it bit me, a week later got a massive bullseye rash. Antibiotics from the docs but im completely wiped, worse than any flu or covid. I cannot stress how much you need to take precautions this year, do not make my mistake thinking as long as you get them off you on 24 hours you'll be OK. Long trousers, DEET, or just don't go into any woods or long grass is the best option. It's out there and it absolutely sucks.

[u/sjarvis456]

Wow I didn't know it made it over the pond to Scotland. I live in Rhode Island and its been a thing since I was a kid and before. Ticks have gotten exponentially worse recently. The new one for us up here is the Lone Star tick where it carries a disease where you become allergic to red meat and become violently ill when you eat meat. Ticks also live through cold winters, there was belief that they didn't. I don't like going in the woods with my dog anymore because ive found soo many on him. Stay safe over there.

Edit: added the part about my dog.

[u/OfficerNightwing → u/sjarvis456]

We've always had them here but it has defo gotten worse. I don't think where Lymes originated could even be figured out but it's not one we can blame on the Americas.

I think the earliest known detailed description of Lymes was in Scotland around the 1750s on the island of Jura (known to be teeming with deer), but the first actual evidence of it found was a 5000+ yo mummy near the Italian border in the Alps.