Contact GP quickly with Lyme disease symptoms, public told

Public health officials are warning people to be mindful of tick bites this summer.

UK Health Security Agency officials advised the public to be alert to the signs of Lyme disease – including the telltale bullseye rash – and to seek quick to seek help from the GP if needed.

It comes as the latest annual data shows 1,581 laboratory confirmed cases of Lyme disease were reported in 2024.

While 5% lower than the previous year, numbers to fluctuate and it is likely to be an underestimate of the true burden of Lyme disease in England, UKHSA believes.

This is largely because NICE recommends making a clinical diagnosis of acute Lyme disease on the basis of the rash with no need for testing.

Cases have been reported from around the country, but most confirmed diagnoses in 2024 were in people living in the South West, South East and London regions, the figures show.

Levels are back to those seen before the pandemic when cases dropped off during lockdowns.

As people may not notice a tick bite it is important to check for them after spending time outdoors experts said.

To pass on a Lyme disease infection, the tick needs to be attached for many hours, so people need not worry if they spot one that is just crawling on you, the UKHSA guidance noted.

The most common symptom in someone who develops Lyme disease is a spreading ‘bullseye’ rash at the site of the tick bite that can develop between 3 to 30 days after the bite.

But not everyone gets the rash and other symptoms to be alert for include a fever, headache and fatigue, a facial droop, nerve pains and numbness or tingling in the hands or feet.

Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics so people should contact their GP if they get any symptoms UKHSA said.

Christina Petridou, consultant microbiologist at UKHSA, said: ‘It’s really important that people continue to be tick aware this summer to protect themselves against Lyme disease.

‘After spending time in nature, people should take precautions such as checking for ticks and promptly and safely removing them which will reduce chances of infection.

‘If you notice any symptoms like a spreading circular rash, flu-like symptoms, nerve pain or a droop on one or both sides of the face within a few weeks of being bitten by a tick, contact your GP or dial NHS 111.’