Pests at the Euro Cup and Olympics: how ticks, bedbugs and fleas affect health

One of the health tips that have been given from Europe is to draw attention to the ticks and how to prevent its appearance. That is why in the document they warn that “ticks are not only found in forests but also in parks, gardens and patios. They can be anywhere you are enjoying the Euro Cup matches or parties. Ticks can transmit diseases that can cause chronic illness or death, such as Lyme’s desease, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever wave encephalitis Central European”.

From the National Association of Environmental Health Companiesl (Anecpla) expand the recommendation and warn of proliferation which can be produced not only by ticks, but also by bed bugs and fleas. “When there is a lot of human pressure, and here in the Euro Cup and the Olympic Games it happens because there is a lot of concentration of people, the Hygienic conditions are also basic. Pests are always looking for accommodation and food.” And in this case bedbugs, ticks and fleas are blood-sucking, and they need blood to reproduce. “Many of them can go up to a year without eating.”

Heat and climate change

In it summer period the conditions and the appropriate temperature are met so that “arthropods can reproduce. With climate change, the seasonal difference is not so marked and they have more time to reproduce and they do it more often,” he explains. Jorge Galvan, director of Anecpla. This means that at this time we will find more arthropods, which can cause more bedbugs, ticks and fleas.

And there is a greater risk of them coming into contact. “In places like the European Championship and the Olympic Games there is a high concentration of people and increases the likelihood” that These insects travel with us or in the goods.

The same goes for the mosquitoes, who have already made one of the training camps in Bavaria their own, where the humidity and high temperatures have provided the ideal breeding ground.

Be careful when bringing them in your suitcase

“The bed bug is the most traveler of all,” says Galván, although fleas can also travel in our luggage or on our clothes. How can we prevent them from traveling with us? And what happens if we take them to our home? Galván recommends in the case of bed bugs:

• If there is in the hotel luggage rack leave your luggage there and never on the floor or in bed.
• The suitcase must always be closed.
• When we put something in and take something out, Check it well to make sure there are no bed bugs or fleas.
• Check the sheets, pillows and mattresses when traveling.
• If you suffer a bite while sleeping, it is advisable Check the sheets the next day for blood stains and check the seams of the mattresses.
• In case of suspected contamination quarantine luggage in a place away from the bedrooms.
• If the luggage is contaminated, the clothes, whether used or not, must be washed at 60ºC.
• Bed bugs and their eggs can hide in dirty clothes baskets, so it is recommended to clean them as well.
• If we find that there are bed bugs in our home, we should not use domestic insecticides but instead go to Environmental Health professionals.

How to recognize a bedbug or a flea?

If we look at clothes, mattresses or bedding, we can see these arthropods, which are small but not invisible. “It will depend on the colour of the garment and the material. Bedbugs have a brownish-brown colour. If it is a white garment, it will be clearly visible,” explains Galván.

It must be taken into account that the Bed bugs and fleas are found indoors while ticks are found in vegetation areas waiting to attach to the host. In the sporting events of the Euro Cup and the Olympic Games, the risk of being exposed to these insects occurs more in the accommodations where we spend the night. “It can happen that we pass it from one person to another in a sports competition,” says Galván.

Prevent ticks

In the case of ticks, some steps must be carried out. simple measures to avoid contact with themTo avoid being bitten by a tick, the ECDC recommends taking the following precautions:

• Try do not walk through wooded areas, and if we do choose the paths.
• Use clothes with sleeves and long pants.
• Put the ppants inside socks It helps prevent ticks from climbing through clothing and sticking to the skin.
• Use Light-colored clothing to quickly locate ticks in case they have joined.
• Use insect repellentss for skin and clothing following the instructions for each product.
• Regularly check your skin and clothing for ticks, especially after outdoor activities.

Health Risks of Bed Bugs, Fleas and Ticks

Pests have an economic, psychological and health impact, says Galván. And we must not forget that These insects can transmit diseases. In the case of the fleas, these can transmit the typhoid fever and were responsible for the worst pandemic in history: the Black Death. However, in our environment today fleas are not vectors of any disease.

Bed bugs, for their part, produce a lot of psychological impact since at first you may not suspect the origin of the itch they produce. “The bug bite occurs at night and a kind of dermatitis” says Galván. We should go to the doctor in case we need any kind of treatment.

In the case of the tick, responsible for Lyme disease or Crimean-Congo fever, we must Remove it from the skin very carefully so that the head does not stay inside. “The good thing is that it does not immediately transmit any disease. You have to know how to extract it and if not, go to the doctor to have it done.” Typically, the medical center sends the insect for analysis to determine if it is a vector of any disease.

Other health measures

To enjoy the Euro Cup and the Olympic Games, the ECDC gives other health advice for combat high temperatures:

• Stay in the shadows and Avoid vigorous activity in the middle of the day.
• Use light clothing, wear sunglasses and apply sun protection.
• Stay hydrous.
• On very hot days it is convenient Do not eat very large meals.
• If you take medication, make sure it is not damaged by heat.

Advice is also given to avoid the spread of sexually transmitted infections and moderate alcohol consumption is recommended.

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