The tick while walking in Spain
The ticks in Spain are different from those in the Netherlands and pose a greater danger. There are tick species known in this country that walk around with a deadly poison and are very eager to transmit it. So protect yourself well when walking in wooded areas or tall grass, because such a tick bite is no fun.
Tick with deadly virus in Spain
In recent years, more and more ticks have been discovered in Spain that are infected with the Crimean-Congo virus, which causes a terrible disease. The Hyalomma tick carries this virus that is fatal for 30 to 50 percent of people. This virus seems to have come over from Morocco and is now bothering Europe.
The first symptoms of Crimean-Congo flu are normal flu symptoms with nosebleeds, but after a few days the liver begins to swell and subcutaneous bleeding occurs. Then important organs can stop working and it is possible to die from this disease. There is no treatment for the disease.
Fièvre Boutonneuse is common in Spain
The tick species Rhipicephalus is also common in Spain and transmits the disease Fièvre Boutonneuse. These ticks live in green places and in warm and humid places, so they can also survive in the house. They are also often found on rodents, antelopes, cattle or pets. After a bite from this tick you can be infected with the virus that is characterized by an ulcer with a black crust at the site of the bite. A red discoloration of the skin can occur at the same site. Complaints such as headache, muscle pain and joint pain often occur and this is usually accompanied by low blood pressure and sometimes with neurological abnormalities and impaired kidney function. After about five to seven days a fever occurs, which can last for a few days to two weeks. Red spots also appear all over the body after five days. The disease is treated with a course of antibiotics. It is not possible to vaccinate against this disease.
In Spain they also know Lyme disease
Just like in the Netherlands, in Spain they have to deal with the tick species Ixodus Ricinus, which transmits Lyme disease. The ticks hide in green places, such as in tall grass or in bushes. If a red circular spot appears on the skin after a tick bite, this is the characteristic of Lyme disease. After infection with this disease, feverish symptoms occur and at a later stage complaints arise in the joints, the nervous system and sometimes in the heart. The disease can even be fatal. It is treated with antibiotics.
TIBOL
The Dermacentor tick causes infection with the bacterium Ricketsia slovaca in Spain. The disease is characterized by a pimple that becomes ulcerated and secretes yellowish fluid after a few days, causing crusts to form. Enlarged lymph nodes in the neck can also occur and often a bald spot remains on the hairy skin. The symptoms can occur 1 to 55 days after the tick bite and can last for months. An antibiotic treatment is available for this disease.