Tick bite precautions : lessons learned from Thai travelers via in-depth interview

Abstract

Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods that attach themselves to a host in order to feed. In public health, tick bites can be very important. Thailand has relatively fewer tick-borne human diseases than some other countries. However, these bites still cause many skin reactions and other serious problems. Preventive measures against tick bites include the use of repellents and protective clothing; avoiding tick-infested areas; and the careful removal of ticks. Even though many preventive methods are known, many Thai people still suffer from the symptoms of bites after traveling. This study used recordings of semi-structured but in-depth video interviews among Thai travelers who had a history of tick bite problems and attended the Dermatology Clinic of the Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University between January 2018 and December 2021. This qualitative study's objective is to describe the experience of being bitten and the aftermath, as well as preventive measures used among Thai travelers who have a history of tick bites. The study also explores the reasons why travelers choose to use or avoid preventive methods. Eight of the fourteen participants traveled for the purpose of trekking through forests, while the other six traveled for other reasons such as camping in national parks, staying for leisure at resorts near forests, and returning from cities to their rural home towns near forests. The most common sites of tick bite were on the head and neck. Those who trekked knew the habitats of ticks and methods of tick bite prevention, but they did not practice the latter because of the inconvenience in a hot climate. Most travelers used insect repellent only once before trekking, on the grounds that it was uncomfortable and harmed the environment. They did not use the repellent on their heads and necks. Non-trekkers did not know the forest habitats of ticks, did not prepare for tick bite prevention, and thought that repellent could not prevent bites. Some travelers knew how to remove ticks correctly after a bite. Educational intervention is needed among Thai travelers to emphasize wearing a hat or headscarf when traveling in the forest and checking for ticks after trekking, including careful tick removal. Innovating insect repellent for ticks to apply on the head and neck in hot climates is the alternative to prevent tick bites in Thailand. The lessons learned from this study could help design preventive communication strategies for reducing problems with tick bites in the future. The local national park should warn travelers to be careful of a tick bite. Collaboration with the national park and tourism authorities in Thailand is crucial for successful implementation. Implication of the thematic paper: This study aimed to explore the reasons why many Thai travelers still have the problem of tick bites and whether they use any preventive methods or not. This lesson learned led us to a deeper understanding of tick bite problems among Thai travelers, which is thought to aid policy-making.