Originally Posted by Burrowzig

There certainly is tick borne disease in the UK - Lyme disease which can cause long term damage to the joints and central nervous system if untreated. It is quite common in the New Forest and also in Cumbria, probably other areas (mainly wooded) too. I know two people who have been permanently disabled by Lyme disease (one got the disease around 40 years ago in south Cumbria), and others who have recognised the symptoms early and had the treatment. I have had loads of deer tick bites but no symtoms other than itching.
Lyme disease affects dogs too. There is a dog vaccine in the U.S.A but it is not licensed here. And there is something that stops ticks attaching: Advantix by Bayer, applied monthly, makes the ticks drop off without attaching. If you are in an area that has Lyme disease, the worst thing to do is put vaseline on the tick. The disease is transmitted to the blood of the animal as the tick finishes feeding. It regurgitates some blood back into the host, and that's when the bacteria gets in. Putting vaseline or alcohol on causes the tick to regurgitate into the host during feeding as it suffocates, making it more likely to give you the disease. If you get a tick bite the symptoms to look out for are
1) A red circular ring around the site of the bite up to several weeks afterwards
2) Flu-like symptoms
3) Pain and stiffness in the joints
Not everyone gets all or indeed any of these. The bacteria can lie dormant for months before you get ill, by which time you will have forgotten about the bite. A course of antibiotics cures it in the early stages, one of my friends had to take a six-week course.
Lyme disease is getting commoner and should be taken seriously. A lot of GPs know little or nothing about it, so it can be overlooked. There is a blood test available.