Tick infestation in Ruse. 107 people, including children, have sought medical help after being bitten in just 20 days at one of the city's hospitals. The most dangerous areas remain the spaces between apartment buildings, parks and areas around playgrounds, where the lawns have not yet been mowed, BNT reports.
Denka Dobreva is a mother of three children. She does not allow them to play in front of the apartment building, as the grass around it is already taller than the parked cars. It was there, during their last outing, that ticks bit her 9-year-old son.
Denka Dobreva, mother: “In the evening before the bath, the whole body is checked. There are ticks in the emergency room too. There's no way I can take it out because I'm worried. And we stopped going to the playgrounds to protect ourselves.“
Doctors warn - tick bites should not be underestimated.
Dr. Plamen Zhekov - medical director of the University Hospital “Medica“: “Ticks in nature feed on blood - mammals, birds, reptiles. These animals can be carriers or reservoirs of certain bacteria or viruses, with Lyme disease being the most common in Bulgaria, as well as Marseille fever. If symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, fatigue, rash appear, seek medical help.“
This was also necessary for Ruslana's family a few days ago.
Ruslana Hubenova, mother: “We saw the tick in the evening, but it was right when we were cleaning this garden. We went to our jeep and he removed the tick.“
The company involved in spraying against ticks in the city began treating the ground areas with preparations back in April. However, they specify that only the mowed areas are treated. In the rest, the risk remains, although mowing is being done on schedule this week, including in the outer neighborhoods.
Dr. Plamen Zhekov: “The high humidity associated with most rains, the growth of vegetation create ideal conditions for reproduction and are the cause of a boom in tick bites.“
Therefore, medical specialists recommend using repellents not only for the skin of the body, but also those that are intended for impregnating clothing.