Most people with early symptoms of Lyme disease develop a circular red rash around a tick bite, according to the HSE
11:08, 08 May 2026Updated 11:11, 08 May 2026
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The HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre is warning the public to keep safe from Lyme disease by taking steps to prevent tick bites.
Wednesday marked Tick Awareness Day, and the HPSC issued practical advice on how to protect against ticks, whose bite can cause a bacterial infection called Lyme disease. The health experts warned that ticks are “everywhere in Ireland, including both urban and rural environments and are active from spring to autumn”.
Most people with early symptoms of Lyme disease develop a circular red rash around a tick bite, according to the HSE. The rash can appear up to three months after being bitten by a tick. Most rashes appear within the first 4 weeks. It usually lasts for several weeks.
Not everyone with Lyme disease gets the rash. In the early stages you may also have flu-like symptoms such as:
- feeling hot and shivery, or a high temperature
- headaches
- muscle and joint pain
- tiredness and loss of energy
However, the HSE explained that only a small number of ticks are infected with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. A tick bite can only cause Lyme disease in humans if the tick has bitten an infected animal.
About five per cent of ticks in Ireland are thought to carry Lyme disease bacteria. You should be aware of high-risk areas, which include grassy and wooded areas and sand dunes.
The HSE also advised to remove ticks as soon as possible, explaining that Lyme disease can be prevented if infected ticks are removed within 36 hours. The entire tick, including its mouthparts which might break off, should be removed with tweezers by gripping it close to the skin. The skin where the tick was found should then be washed with soap and water and the area checked over the next few weeks for swelling or redness.
Tick bites can be prevented by:
- wearing long trousers, long sleeved shirt and shoes
- wearing a hat and tucking in hair
- using an insect repellent (preferably containing DEET)
- checking skin, hair and warm skin folds (especially the neck and scalp of children) for ticks, after a day out
- checking for ticks and removing any from your pets/ clothing/ outdoor gear
- removing any ticks and consulting with a GP if symptoms develop.
Ticks will bite adult humans most commonly on the legs and the arms, but they can bite any part of the body, especially warm and sweaty parts of the body not covered by clothing. In children, ticks are most likely to bite around the head and neck. These are the areas to cover up and protect. These are also the areas to check following time spent outdoors. You can check yourself and your children during the day.
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