A WARNING has been issued for Brits to be vigilant over disease risks while spending more time outside.
Lyme disease can, if left untreated, cause heart failure and nerve damage.
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It is a bacterial infection spread by ticks when they bite humans.
There are round 3,000 cases of Lyme disease in England every year.
Ticks can be found all year round, but are most active in the spring and summer months when the weather gets hotter.
The UK Health Security Agency tweeted this weekend: “With the weather getting warmer, many of us will be spending more time outdoors.
“Ticks & the potential risk of #LymeDisease shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying the outdoors, but there are some things you can look out for & do to avoid being bitten.”
Most people can be treated with a full course of antibiotics, but if left untreated the infection can spread to the nervous system, the skin, joints and the heart.
Some patients can develop more severe symptoms months or years on from the infection, even if they were treated early.
If you are bitten by an infected tick symptoms should appear one to four weeks afterwards.
But they can come on anywhere between three to 30 days after being bitten.
Symptoms include a spreading circular red rash, which might look like a bullseye, and flu-like symptoms.
Other signs to look out for include muscle or nerve pains or a drooping facial appearance when the nerves to the muscles around the upper part of the face are affected.
If you have developed symptoms after being bitten by a tick or spending time outdoors, immediately contact your GP or call NHS 111, mentioning where you have been and if you remember being bitten.
Long grass is generally where ticks will be so playing in a park or on woodland paths shouldn’t be too risky.
But to be safe while out and about, consider wearing clothing that covers your skin to make it more difficult for ticks to bite you.
Use insect repellent such as DEET and wear light coloured clothing so that you can easily spot ticks and brush them off.
After spending time outside, check yourself, your clothing, your pets and others for ticks.
Remove any attached tick as soon as you find it using a tick-removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers.
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