Walsall Duke of Edinburgh's Award

Reports of Lyme Disease have been recorded by the Peak District Expedition panel.

The following information regarding Lyme disease was reported by a member of the Peak District Expedition panel.

"Two confirmed and one unconfirmed case of Lyme disease have been reported in the Peak District. I have spoken to one the two men who contracted the disease, so this is not an urban myth. As far as I am aware, this is the first time this potentially-fatal illness has been reported in our area."

The details of the incidents are:

On 29.9.06, during an exercise, a member of the Glossop Mountain Rescue team was bitten on the lower leg though a pair of Ron Hill tracksters. This was at Deer Knoll on the northern edge of Bleaklow. He thought he'd suffered a midge bite and only went to his doctor after the bite got worse. He told me that it developed as a red, blind spot surrounded by a ring of clear skin surrounded by an inflamed area, which eventually grew to 5" or so in diameter. After about 10 days he had also developed severe joint pains and after blood tests he was put on what sounds like a tetracycline drug. He says it will be 3 years before he can be sure he is free of the infection. He said, "Don't believe what they say about 'flu-like symptoms' being the first sign." 

Another member of the MRT was bitten in June 2006 - also through a thin garment - while walking through rough scrub near Crowden. His bite developed in the same way but the symptoms in his case were extreme lethargy/tiredness but no joint pain. I did not ask, but I assume the second man had similar treatment but this did not happen immediately because his doctor thought he had an allergy until he learnt from the patient about his colleague's experience.

The details of the illness are:

Lyme disease (the bacteria Borrelia Burghdor feri) is spread by animal ticks, particularly deer ticks (Example Pictures of Ticks). Other wild animals may also carry the ticks, which are found in scrub, long grass, bracken or other vegetation frequented by infected animals. Not all ticks carry the bacteria.

The risk of infection can be reduced by wearing long trousers and long sleeved shirts when working in tall vegetation during May-June or September-October. Tuck trousers into socks if necessary. Light coloured clothing will make ticks more noticeable so that they can be brushed off. Insect repellent sprays can help.

The range of symptoms includes partial paralysis of the face (Bells Palsy) and serious illness of the nervous system, joints and heart. Flu-like symptoms may develop, as may swollen glands near the site of the bite, mild headaches, aching muscles and joints, and tiredness.

Although the highest risk is during the summer when the tick is most active and feeding, there is some research showing that in certain areas, ticks can be active all year round.

If bitten: