Prevention
Ticks, and why removal advice matters so much
If you already have alpha-gal syndrome, further bites can raise your antibody levels and make reactions worse. Prevention stops being general advice and becomes part of your treatment.
Freeze it, do not squeeze it. Do not scratch, pull, twist or grab a tick. Disturbing a live tick can push more allergen and saliva into you, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid. Australian guidance is to kill the tick where it is and let it drop out.
TODO: reproduce the current ASCIA wording verbatim, with citation, and have the clinical reviewer sign it off. This is the highest-risk content on the site.
How to remove one
-
Adult ticks: an ether-containing freezing spray
Available from pharmacies. It kills the tick in place. Leave it alone afterwards and let it drop out by itself.
-
Larvae and nymphs: permethrin cream
The tiny ones, sometimes called grass ticks or scrub itch, are often present in numbers. A permethrin cream is the usual approach rather than picking them off.
-
Do not use the folk remedies
Methylated spirits, petroleum jelly, a hot match, nail polish. All of these irritate a live tick rather than killing it quickly.
-
If you have ever reacted to a bite, do not do it yourself
Have it removed somewhere with adrenaline and resuscitation available. Tick anaphylaxis is a separate risk from the meat allergy, and it can be rapid.
Where they are
The Eastern paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) needs humidity, and lives in a band of coastal and near-coastal bushland from north Queensland through New South Wales into northern Victoria. It is not only a bush problem: leafy suburban gardens in the right areas are prime habitat, and bandicoots are a common reservoir.
| Region | Notes | Peak risk period |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney Northern Beaches, NSW | The most recognised hotspot, and where the tick and meat allergy link was first described. | TODO: verify |
| Northern Rivers, NSW | Disproportionately affected in CSIRO analysis. | TODO: verify |
| Shoalhaven and South Coast, NSW | Disproportionately affected in CSIRO analysis. | TODO: verify |
| Sunshine Coast hinterland, QLD | Disproportionately affected in CSIRO analysis. | TODO: verify |
| Gold Coast hinterland, QLD | Disproportionately affected in CSIRO analysis. | TODO: verify |
We are not publishing seasonal risk periods until they are verified. Paralysis tick activity varies by life stage and by region, and getting it wrong would give people false confidence in the months we told them were quiet. This table is a structure waiting on sourced data, ideally from CSIRO or a state health department.
Avoiding bites in the first place
Cover up and tuck in
Long sleeves, long trousers tucked into socks, and a hat. Light colours make ticks easier to spot before they attach.
Use one that works on ticks
Not all insect repellents are effective against ticks. Check the label specifically mentions them. TODO: confirm current recommended actives
Check thoroughly
Behind ears, along the hairline, in skin folds, and on children. The small ones are easy to miss.
Manage the garden
Keep grass short, clear leaf litter, and know that bandicoot activity in the yard raises the risk.
You do not have to give up the outdoors. People manage this while still bushwalking, gardening and camping. The goal is fewer bites and better removal, not a life indoors.
Draft content, not yet clinically reviewed. Clinical reviewer: TODO: name and credentials Review date: TODO Medical statements to be checked against current ASCIA guidance before launch.