A tenant has recently contracted Lyme disease from a tick bite at the allotment. Please, be alerted. Ticks inhabit long vegetation and bares legs and feet when working in grass areas should be avoided. Check for ticks and follow the NHS advice if you find one on your skin, you may not notice them attaching!

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can be spread to humans by infected ticks. It’s usually easier to treat if it’s diagnosed early.

Symptoms of Lyme disease A circular or oval shape rash around a tick bite can be an early symptom of Lyme disease in some people. The rash can appear up to 3 months after being bitten by an infected tick, but usually appears within 1 to 4 weeks. It can last for several week. The rash can have a darker or lighter area in the centre and might gradually spread. It’s not usually hot or itchy. The rash may be flat, or slightly raised, and look pink, red, or purple when it appears on white skin. It can be harder to see the rash on brown and black skin and it may look like a bruise. Some people also get flu-like symptoms a few days or weeks after they were bitten by an infected tick, such as:

• a high temperature, or feeling hot and shivery
• headache
• muscle and joint pain
• tiredness and loss of energy