Ticking off for holidaymakers

A RISE in camping holidays in the north of Scotland could bring more cases of lyme disease, a city health specialist has warned.

Hazel Middleton, a travel health adviser at Edinburgh's Masta travel clinic, said the credit crunch meant people were taking more domestic holidays, but two-thirds of people do not take precautions against ticks, leaving them vulnerable to a range of illnesses.

"All the evidence shows that the prevalence of tick borne encephalitis and other similar diseases is on the increase in some countries, so people heading for places where they will be at risk need to be aware of the dangers and take adequate precautions."