News

Around 60 people attended Balivanich Hall, Benbecula last night (April 17), to find out more about the progress being made in investigating the presence of ticks and occurrence on Lyme disease in the Outer Hebrides.

The meeting heard from Isabell MacInnes, NHS Western Isles Health Protection and Screening Nurse Specialist, about the awareness raising work that she and colleagues have been doing over the year since the Western Isles Tick Awareness Programme was launched. She was followed by Ealasaid Dick, a Uist based vet, who spoke about what veterinary practice is seeing, and Johanne Ferguson from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) provided an update on the Uist deer management plan. The final speakers were Caroline Millins and Roman Biek from the University of Glasgow, who are in the early stages of research on the ticks found in Uist and the Lyme-disease causing bacteria they carry.

Part of the research includes completion of two questionnaires:

1. Survey to assess risk of tick bites on people and pets in the Outer Hebrides
2. Survey to assess tick prevention and tick-borne diseases in livestock in the Outer Hebrides.

Forms are available from Southern Isles Veterinary practice, Crofting Federation and SNH and online:https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/tickbite-people-and-pets and https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/livestock-survey

There was a lively question and answer session and it was noted that the Glasgow University project staff will be based in Uist for the next few weeks carrying out work across a range of habitats where ticks can occur. The results of their studies will be available in due course. In the meantime, NHS Western Isles will continue the awareness raising work with the general public, so do look out for the tick banner at local shows and events.

Further information, posters and leaflets are available from Health Protection, 42 Winfield Way, Balivanich or email: wihealthprotection@nhs.net

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