Critical tick warning from experts: Do not crush with your hand!

Head of the Department of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology at ERU Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Dr. Orhan Yıldız, made statements regarding the tick cases that started to be seen with the warming of the weather and caused the death of 4 people in Kayseri.

Saying that especially children's hair should be checked after picnics or visits outside, Yıldız said, "Ticks can easily penetrate the skin and reach a blood vessel anywhere they can get stuck. Our recommendation is that the entire scalp, especially in children, should be examined by stripping the entire body after outdoor visits such as picnics. The most forgotten areas here are the scalp first, followed by the armpit, groin and back area that you cannot see with the naked eye. These areas should be examined one by one. When a tick is detected, you should definitely consult a doctor and try not to remove the tick with your bare hands."

"IF POSSIBLE, IT IS BEST NOT TO REMOVE IT BY HAND"

Stating that ticks can infect people with the virus in many ways, Prof. Dr. Orhan Yıldız said, "Of course, CCHF is transmitted through a tick bite. But the real transmission occurs when removing the tick. Some remove it by setting it on fire. Yes, the tick is alive; it will leave the moment it feels the heat. But it may vomit the moment you set it on fire. Even if the stomach content does not infect your body, it can infect you with this vomiting. The most common mistake is to grab and pull it out by hand. We do not recommend removing it by hand, but it is recommended to wear gloves or hold it by putting a cloth or another object in between. However, it is best not to remove it by hand if possible. It is healthier not to do the removal process ourselves. It should be done by applying to a health institution. Because if the tick is suddenly pulled out and removed during the removal process, in such cases, we may infect ourselves through our nails. One of the biggest mistakes is that people try to remove the tick themselves and crush it with their nails. This means 100 percent transmission. Therefore, such practices should be avoided."