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Tick-borne diseases

What you need to know about tick-borne diseases (TBDs):

  • several diseases can be carried by UK ticks
  • Lyme disease is the most common
  • very few cases of other TBDs have been officially reported in the UK
  • symptoms of these diseases overlap those of Lyme disease
  • most are treated with the same antibiotics as Lyme disease

For a summary of each disease, see our page on tick-borne diseases.

Recently Tick-borne Encephalistis (TBE) and Babesiosis have been reported in the UK, but these are isolated cases and we don’t really know how prevalent these infections are in our ticks.  Researchers from Public Health England’s Tick Surveillance Scheme collect and analyse ticks from locations across the country.

Following a report about the first officially reported case of Babesiosis in England, we have prepared a summary to cover what Babesia is, the symptoms, diagnosis and what we know about UK Babesiosis.

Just remember to check for ticks. They can be tiny and might be behind your knee or at your child’s hairline.

See that little black speck on the wrist? It’s a tick and it needs removing in case it carries disease. Don’t panic – just see our tick removal page.

No tick remover? Visit our shop!

On average only about 1 in 10 of UK ticks carry disease, and where you have just walked it might be zero. But you don’t know, so just remove your tick promptly and be alert for symptoms over the next couple of weeks.

Tick infection rates are higher in most of mainland Europe and in parts of N America, so be aware of this if you are going on holiday.

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Covid-19 v Lyme disease

You’ve been working from home and if you are lucky enough to have a garden, or neighbouring park or countryside, perhaps spending a lunch break sitting on the grass. You don’t feel at all well. You think of Covid-19, and check the NHS website. Not conclusive. What else might it be?

Self isolate as recommended, but if it doesn’t go away, review your symptoms and also consider whether a tiny tick from the garden could have attached to you and given you Lyme disease. Found a tick? Remove it correctly as soon as you can to minimise disease passing to you.

Quick check of main early symptoms where “Yes” means fairly common but not in everyone:

Check yourself for roughly circular red rash – especially on parts of your body you can’t easily see. Take a photo for your GP if you see one.

Lyme disease is a tiny risk compared with Covid-19 – only on average about 10% of UK ticks carry it, and it gives rise to perhaps 10,000 cases per year in the UK, though precise numbers are not known. Unlike Covid-19, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and when recognised early it is easily treated with antibiotics.

Awareness of ticks is the key and will help you avoid this illness and not add to the NHS burden.

If your GP needs some pointers, suggest the RCGP Toolkit.

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What we do

We are a charity dealing with Lyme disease throughout the UK. We provide accredited information that you can trust; for the public, patients and health professionals.

Find out the facts here on

We raise awareness, provide free leaflets and lobby for improved services. See our latest news items. We usually hold an annual conference. See the LDA conferences page for details of our conferences.

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