Spider-Man star Tom Holland may be famous for surviving a spider bite on screen – but in real life it is ticks that have him worried.
The actor and his partner Zendaya reportedly asked for areas of long grass to be cordoned off at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, where they are said to be holding their post-wedding celebrations, amid concerns guests could pick up tick bites. Now a leading doctor has said the reported move should act as a warning to everyone enjoying the countryside this summer.
Writing in his Times column, GP and regular BBC broadcaster Dr Mark Porter warned that tick bites can do far more than spread Lyme disease. In rare cases, they can trigger a potentially life-threatening allergy that leaves sufferers unable to eat beef, lamb, pork and, for some, even dairy products.
He said: “Ticks are bothering me this week. Well, our dog Sid anyway, from whom I have just removed three.”
Dr Porter said many people are aware of Lyme disease, but far fewer have heard of alpha-gal syndrome – sometimes called the mammalian meat allergy.
The condition is not caused by bacteria but by the body’s immune response to a sugar molecule found in the saliva of some ticks. Once sensitised, some people can suffer an allergic reaction hours after eating red meat, making the link difficult to spot.
Symptoms can range from itchy rashes and stomach pains to potentially fatal anaphylaxis, where breathing becomes difficult and emergency treatment is needed. Dr Porter knows the dangers of ticks only too well.
He believes he contracted Lyme disease while walking in rural Portugal in 1992 after developing the classic “bull’s-eye” rash following a bite.
Fortunately, he later underwent emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and the intravenous antibiotics he received would also have destroyed the bacteria that causes Lyme disease before it could lead to longer-term complications.
He said those antibiotics would not have prevented alpha-gal syndrome because it is caused by an allergic response rather than an infection.
Although the condition is far more common in the United States, where it is linked to the lone star tick, Dr Porter warned that the sheep and deer ticks found in Britain can also trigger the syndrome, even though UK cases remain very rare.
Anyone who develops symptoms after a tick bite should seek medical advice. Suspected alpha-gal syndrome can be confirmed with a blood test and patients at risk of severe reactions may need to carry an adrenaline pen.
Dr Porter also urged anyone who finds a tick attached to their skin to remove it as soon as possible using fine tweezers or a specialist tick-removal tool, before cleaning the area and watching for symptoms over the following weeks.
Current NICE guidance does not recommend routine “just in case” antibiotics after a tick bite. The irony of the situation was not lost on him.
“I can’t be the only one to pick up on the irony of an actor who has made millions playing a character – Spider-Man – whose superhero powers are the result of a spider bite, going the extra mile to prevent his guests from being bitten by another arachnid,” he wrote.
“And I feel duty bound to warn guests that ticks don’t only hide in long grass.”
What to do if you are bitten by a tick
- Remove the tick as quickly as possible using fine tweezers or a tick-removal device.
- Pull steadily upwards without twisting.
- Clean the bite with soap and water or antiseptic.
- Watch for flu-like symptoms or a rash over the following weeks and seek medical advice if they develop.
- Routine preventive antibiotics are not recommended after most tick bites under current NICE guidance.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
