On the occasion of Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival, many families have plans to travel and play. However, as the temperature rises, ticks have also entered their most active period, and the number of patients bitten by ticks has gradually increased recently. Ticks often appear in lush grasslands and forests, and can quietly burrow into the human body to suck blood. In severe cases, they can even be fatal. During an interview with reporters, Niu Jun, the director of the dermatology department at the General Hospital of the Northern Theater Command, reminded that when playing in the countryside during Children's Day and Dragon Boat Festival holidays, one should be careful of tick bites. What is a tick? According to Niu Jun, ticks are ectoparasites of humans, livestock, and wild animals. Both larvae, juveniles, and adults can suck blood and often bite various animals such as dogs and cats, as well as humans. Ticks often inhabit walls, crevices, grasslands, trees, and animal nests, and can appear in densely vegetated areas in the wild. They also hibernate between the fur of livestock, waiting for an opportunity to invade the human body. How harmful are tick bites? Niu Jun said that ticks have a very sensitive sense of smell and can smell the scent of their host from a few meters away. They can climb to leaves or grass tips to wait for food. When the host passes by, they immediately jump or climb to the host's body, looking for areas with relatively weak skin to suck blood, such as the neck and behind the ears. The terrifying thing about ticks is that they not only cause local skin symptoms, but also serve as a vector for infection with spirochetes, rickettsias, viruses, and bacteria. They can spread various diseases, including rickettsial fever, Erichiasis, Lyme's disease, Babesiosis, relapsing fever, and Tularosis. In severe cases, they can even cause death. How to determine tick bites? Niu Jun pointed out that tick bites can cause skin and systemic symptoms, which need to be taken seriously. Ticks can present skin symptoms similar to black moles when they simultaneously pierce the stinging limb and submandibular plate into the host's skin while sucking blood. Edematous erythema or papules, blisters, and nodules appear on the local skin of the bitten area, with petechiae or ecchymosis caused by insect bites visible in the center. After scratching, ulcers can form, and most patients experience symptoms such as local skin itching or pain. After several days of sucking blood, ticks may experience systemic symptoms such as chills, fever, headache, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, etc. When feverish, it is mostly persistent high fever, which can reach over 40 ℃. How do individuals protect themselves from ticks? Niu Jun suggests that personal protection should be strengthened when going out for activities. It is recommended to wear long sleeves and pants, while tightening the cuffs, collar, and pants to prevent tick bites; When engaging in outdoor activities, the surface of the skin can be coated with butyl phthalate emulsion, and clothing can be treated with insect repellents containing DEET or permethrin, which can to some extent prevent tick bites; When carrying pets outside, it is important to promptly eliminate ticks on the pet's body surface to prevent pets from bringing ticks home and getting bitten; After returning from outings, it is important to carefully examine the skin of the entire body to prevent ticks from hiding. In fact, most diseases require ticks to adhere to the skin for at least 24 hours in order to be effectively transmitted. Therefore, constantly checking for tick bites on the body and promptly detecting and intervening is an important method to prevent tick borne diseases. In addition, Niu Jun suggests that if bitten by ticks, do not pat or forcibly remove them. If forcefully removed, it is easy for the tick's mouthparts and head to remain in the body, leading to pathogen infection. If the tick is accidentally flattened or crushed, it can cause the tick's body fluid to reflux to the infected area, increasing the risk of infection. So once it is determined that it is a tick bite, the tick cannot be removed on its own. It is necessary to immediately go to the hospital, have a professional doctor operate to remove the tick as soon as possible, and have the doctor evaluate the condition and treat it as soon as possible. (Lai Xin She)