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There's been a massive tick infestation this year.
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Just 2-3 years ago there were no ticks in parks, but now doctors warn that you need to be careful everywhere.
Tick bites are quite dangerous, as the insects can infect with Lyme disease (borreliosis). Most people who seek medical help undergo preventive treatment, as timely treatment allows you to avoid serious consequences.
In some cases, Lyme disease goes unnoticed, but makes itself known after a few years, affecting weak spots in the body. This could be anything from the nervous system to the joints and heart.
- We ask people to come and bring ticks to find out if there is an infection, - noted Georgy Gusakov, chief physician of the Mariupol SES. - Since the beginning of the season, we have already registered 30 cases of bites in Mariupol, and the figure is incomplete, since most often the victims do not seek medical attention at all.
Due to the early arrival of summer, ticks have come out to hunt earlier. Ticks jump on their victims from bushes and lower branches of trees, so doctors do not recommend walking in the thickets.
People contribute to the infestation of cities with ticks by bringing insects in their clothes. If you go straight from the forest to a park or a playground, dangerous parasites can breed there over time. Checking clothes after walking in the forest should become a rule for another reason - a tick can hide in the folds and bite later, when you return home. In addition, doctors advise carefully checking the fur of animals after each walk.
For walks in the forest, it is better to choose clothes with long sleeves and a collar that covers the neck. If possible, stick to open areas, but remember that ticks usually concentrate along paths.
You can protect yourself from ticks with repellents, as the parasites sense their prey by smell. The tick's favorite places on the human body are the scalp, armpits, groin, elbows and knees. The peak of activity of these insects occurs in April-May and September-October, but they retain the ability to attack throughout the warm season.