According to the CDC WeChat official account, the weather is fine, and many people are planning to go outing and camping. While enjoying nature, a small creature that is not easily noticeable to the naked eye is quietly threatening our health - ticks. Despite its small size, it can spread various serious diseases and even endanger life. What is a tick? Ticks, also known as "wall ticks," "dog beans," and "grass crawlers," are temporary parasites belonging to the family Nymphalidae in the order Nymphalidae. There are approximately 800 species worldwide, with over 100 species recorded in China in the family Nymphalidae and over 10 species in the family Nymphalidae; A tick with a strongly shelled shield on the back of its body is commonly known as a hard tick, belonging to the family Ixodidae; The general term for unguarded ticks is soft ticks, belonging to the family Nymphalidae. The life cycle of ticks includes four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. Larvae have three pairs of legs, while nymphs and adults have four pairs of legs. Ticks usually parasitize on areas of the host's skin that are thin and not easily scratched, such as the neck, behind the ears (inside), armpits, inner thighs, etc. of humans or animals. When ticks do not suck blood, they are only the size of rice grains or sesame seeds. After sucking blood, they can expand to the size of soybeans or even nail caps. Ticks are distributed throughout China, mainly living in grasslands, shrubs, forests, livestock pens, pastures, wildlife caves, and other places. Ticks feed on blood and have a wide range of hosts, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Ticks are very sensitive to the sweat odor and carbon dioxide of animals. When they are 15 meters away from their hosts, they can sense it. From passive waiting to active waiting, once an animal passes by, they will frantically shake their body, quickly hook up, and crawl onto the host's body in an instant to bite and suck blood. Therefore, attention should be paid to tick prevention during outings, field trips, outdoor dog walking, and camping. The harm of ticks is that ticks are the second largest vector after mosquitoes. Tick bites and bloodsucking not only cause local damage and inflammation to the host, but also can spread various pathogens (viruses, bacteria, parasites, etc.). Common tick borne diseases include fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome, forest encephalitis, viral hemorrhagic fever, Babesia, and many other zoonotic or natural infectious diseases, which pose a threat to human health and even the development of animal husbandry. Among them, fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (commonly known as "tick disease") is caused by infection with the new Bunyavirus, mainly transmitted through tick bites. The main clinical manifestation is fever with thrombocytopenia, with a rapid onset, high mortality rate, and serious harm. It is worth noting that from April 1, 2026, this disease will be classified as a Class B infectious disease for management, and prevention and control measures for Class B infectious diseases will be taken. Babesiosis is a new and rare parasitic disease that is transmitted through tick bites, blood transfusions, or organ transplants. Infected individuals with normal immune function often have no obvious symptoms or exhibit flu like symptoms. Severe clinical manifestations include high fever, hemolytic anemia, proteinuria, respiratory distress, renal failure, coma, and even death. How to prevent tick bites? Wear the right clothes: When going on outings, camping, or entering environments where ticks may be distributed such as grasslands and forests, wear light colored long sleeved clothes and pants. The cuffs, collar, and pants legs should be tightly tied, and it is best to wear a hat. Light colored clothing is more likely to detect attached ticks. Use repellents: Exposed skin can be treated with repellents containing ingredients such as DEET or Picardine; Clothes, tents and backpacks can be treated with permethrin spray in advance. Pay attention to walking and playing: When walking, try to walk in the center of the trail and avoid contact with tall grass and shrubs on the roadside. When playing, be careful not to sit on the ground casually, do not lie down on the grass, do not touch livestock or sleep in the forest. At the end of the game, do a check-up: After the outdoor activity, carefully examine all parts of the body, including the scalp, behind the ears, neck, armpits, wrists, navel, groin, knee socket, and other areas with skin wrinkles. At the same time, check whether there are ticks attached to the accompanying pets. Take a shower promptly after returning home. What should I do if I'm bitten by a tick? The mouthpart of a tick is hooked, and when bitten, the entire body slowly penetrates deep into the skin. Once a tick bite is detected, apply alcohol to the tick's body first, then use pointed tweezers to tightly adhere to the surface of the skin, clamp the tick's mouthpart (head), and pull it out evenly, slowly, and vertically. After extraction, disinfect the bite site with 75% alcohol or iodine to avoid infection. Do not use fire, smoke, nail polish, vaseline, etc. to smear the insect body, and do not directly pinch, squeeze or pull the insect body with your hands. These wrong operations will stimulate the tick to secrete more saliva or cause the tick to "separate its head from its belly", leaving its mouthparts in the skin and causing infection and inflammation, which will increase the risk of pathogen transmission. When do I need to seek medical attention? After being bitten by ticks, it is recommended to closely monitor one's own condition for the next 2-30 days. If any of the following situations occur, seek medical attention as soon as possible. Incomplete removal of tick: When the tick is removed, its mouthparts may remain in the skin, causing infection. Infection or allergic reaction: If the bite site continues to be red, swollen, painful, and oozing, or if there are allergic symptoms such as systemic urticaria and difficulty breathing. Accompanied by abnormal symptoms: Within 2-30 days after the bite, symptoms such as unexplained fever (body temperature ≥ 38 ℃), fatigue, headache, muscle soreness, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, etc. may appear. When seeking medical treatment, it is necessary to proactively inform the doctor of recent outdoor activities and tick bite history, which can help the doctor make correct diagnosis and treatment quickly. Recently is the peak period of tick activity. An inconspicuous tick may pose a deadly threat behind it. While enjoying a great time, it is important to take scientific precautions and handle it promptly and correctly in order to be more comfortable and healthy. (Looking into the New Era)