A tick bite can be very dangerous if the insect is not immediately removed and the place is not washed with clean water and treated with iodine or ethyl alcohol as such serious diseases as tick-borne encephalitis or Lyme can be developed as a result. Specialists warn that the ticks are most active in May-June.

Contacted by IPN for details, Victoria Burlacu, biologist of the National Public Health Agency, said Lyme disease initially manifests itself as a red spot that is expanding. The person the next few days can have fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain.

Victoria Burlacu said these insects prefer such places as shadow and wet places in woods, open fields with grass and shrubs, forests, ponds with abundant vegetation, etc. The ticks stay under leaves and between blades of grass.

“When you go walking, camping, fishing or for other open-air activities, you should wear clothes of light colors that cover the arms and legs. When walking, go in the middle of footpaths and periodically examine the hands so as to swiftly discover and remove ticks,” stated Victoria Burlacu.

To remove a tick that is embedded in the skin, grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, using tweezers if available. Pull upward with a steady, continuous motion. To ensure the whole tick is removed, try not to twist it or jerk it. If mouth parts of the tick remain in the skin, leave the area alone and let the skin heal. Your body will expel the mouth parts over time.

The biologist noted that when a person bitten by a tick has such symptoms as moderate fever, weakness, muscle and joint pain, this should immediately see a doctor.

According to the National Public Health Agency, over 1,600 cases of disease caused by tick bites were reported in Moldova the last decade.