Scotsman - Edinburgh,Scotland,UK
JOHN ROSS
HUNDREDS of hillwalkers and rural workers have been struck down by disease caused by ticks, which attack humans as well as animals.
Health experts have warned of increases in cases of Lyme disease, with the real number thought to be much higher than those reported.
The Ramblers Association has issued safety guidance to its members and the Cairngorms National Park Authority is taking action to control ticks.
Dr Darrel Ho-Yen, a Lyme disease specialist based at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness, outlined his concerns about an increase in the disease in the latest edition of The Field.
He claims that the number of proven cases in Britain should be multiplied by ten to take account of "wrongly-diagnosed cases, tests giving false results, sufferers who weren't tested, people who are infected but not showing symptoms, failures to notify and infected individuals who don't consult a doctor".
Dr Ho-Yen believes, therefore, that in a year, the number of Scots infected with the disease has risen from 430 to 580.
In the UK, the micro-organism causing Lyme disease is carried by the sheep tick, the most common, which, despite its name, feeds on deer, livestock and other species such as grouse and hare.
Sufferers can get flu-like symptoms such as tiredness and aches, and more serious problems such as chronic arthritis.