PARENTS are being urged to be vigilant for the presence of ticks when out and about with their children.

The warning comes after a parent expressed concern after she said she had to remove more than 10 ticks from her daughter when enjoying a family day out in Glenveigh National Park during the good weather spell.

The worried mum took to popular social media page, ‘Letterkenny Babies’ to alert other parents.

She wrote: “I had to  remove more than 10 ticks from my little girl and nearly the same amount from myself and my husband. We even had to remove one from my little girl’s eyelid which was well dug in.

“I was always aware of ticks and know to be cautious but I never expected or experienced anything like this. We didn’t do any mad hikes, we just walked around the gardens at the park.”

Tick bites can cause Lyme Disease, of which there are a high number of sufferers in Donegal. Donegal Lyme Disease CO-infectious support group has more than 200 members.

In May, the HSE issued a warning over tick bites and Lyme Disease ahead of Lyme Disease Awareness Day.

Dr Paul McKeown, a specialist in Public Health Medicine at the HSE Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), said  the way of preventing Lyme Disease is dependant on preventing tick bites.

Ticks walk on the ground and climb on plants and latch onto passing animals or people by digging in their claws, and are known to like shady and humid woodland clearings, parkland and health and  with grass, as well as open fields and bushes. s

They’re active in both urban and rural areas from spring to autumn.

“Only a minority of ticks carry infection,” said Dr McKeown.

“If a tick is removed within the first few hours, the risk of infection is low. The entire tick, including any mouth parts which may 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. Anyone who develops a rash or other symptoms should visit their GP and explain that they have been bitten by a tick.”

Tick bites can be prevented in a number of ways including, wearing long trousers, long sleeved shirt and shoes, 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.