We note your concerns regarding 'The One Show' on 18 November.
We can assure you that there was no intention to undermine how dangerous ticks can be. Dr George McGavin was in Thetford Forest in Norfolk searching for ticks and allowed some to suck on his blood.
George is experienced in the study of insects, e.g. Professor of Entomology at the University of Derby, studied Zoology at Edinburgh University, before completing a doctorate at the British Museum of Natural History and Imperial College, London.
He went to see Dr. Susan O'Connell, a medic specialising in tick-borne Lyme disease to find out whether he is at risk of catching it. Dr O'Connell said that even if George's tick had carried Lyme disease, which is rare, it had not been feeding long enough to transmit - as the tick would need to be attached to George for 24 hours or more.
Reason it takes so long is because the bug that transmits Lyme disease sits in the stomach of the tick. It needs blood to activate it when the tick feeds. Transmission is not instantaneous.
Once activation has commenced it takes some time for the bug to reach the point where it begins its journey from the tick's stomach up to its mouthparts.
Generally it is ready to transmit to the human bloodstream when the tick is close to the end of its feeding period (4 days).
It is highly unlikely that this process is completed and that transmission would take place in the first 24 hours of a tick attaching to and feeding of its human host.
We don't believe the report would encourage viewers to go out searching for ticks and to try this out on themselves.
However, please be assured that we have registered your comments on our audience log.
This is the internal report of audience feedback which we compile daily for all programme makers and commissioning executives within the BBC, and also their senior management.
It ensures that your points, and all other comments we receive, are circulated and considered across the BBC.
Once again, thank you for taking the time to contact us.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/ This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential and may contain personal views which are not the views of the BBC unless specifically stated.
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lymie tony z
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5130
posted
I Don't even need to go to the show to watch it....
It's a proven fact that the spirocheetes are found in the saliva of the tick when it first
anesthetizes it's "victim"(if it has cheetes)!
TOO BAD.....
IT'S amazing how these entemologists stick together.....
The freak at FSU that spoke at the January Conference....
said he inspected ticks he caught from central Florida to Northern Florida
and found nothing in any of them that would ever harm a human being....
More Rubbish....those "Cheecky Monkeys"
at the BBC, Need to BONE UP on they're
Entemology!
zman
-------------------- I am not a doctor...opinions expressed are from personal experiences only and should never be viewed as coming from a healthcare provider. zman Posts: 2527 | From safety harbor florida(origin Cleve., Ohio | Registered: Jan 2004
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