A Nurse’s Terrifying Encounter with Ticks in the Bush
A nurse who found herself in a medical emergency after a bushwalk has raised awareness about the dangers of ticks in Australia. Michelle Colpus, from the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales, was forced to seek hospital treatment after hundreds of tiny ticks were removed from her body following an outing in Nightcap National Park.
Michelle had gone on a walk with a friend to photograph insects and fungi along a short trail. The outing took place before winter, when many Australians enjoy exploring the bush. However, what began as a routine walk turned into a nightmare when Michelle returned home and noticed strange symptoms.
“I started getting itchy and welts appeared on one of my arms,” she said. “It just went crazy from there.”
Her husband initially thought the welts were caused by something on the trail, but as more welts appeared, they realized the situation was more serious. After trying to remove the irritants at home, Michelle became convinced that something more sinister was happening.
Ticks Hiding in Hair and Skin
Michelle used her macro camera lens to examine the small creatures on her skin and discovered they were paralysis ticks. She believes she brushed past a cluster of larval ticks during her walk, which then attached themselves to her body.
During a shower, she thinks the ticks washed out of her hair and attached themselves all over her body. As a nurse, Michelle knew what to do and covered herself with Lyclear, a treatment used to kill ticks, and took an antihistamine. However, her condition worsened, and she ended up in the hospital.
“By the time I got there, I said, ‘I’ve got about 400 paralysis ticks,’ and they thought I was actually crazy,” she said. But after a quick check, the medical staff confirmed the severity of the situation.
Over 600 Ticks Removed
Michelle estimates that over 600 ticks were removed from her body through tweezing at home and in the hospital. The parasites not only caused her skin to erupt in welts, but also triggered symptoms similar to those she experienced after a stroke 10 months ago.
Dr Kayvan Etebari, an entomologist and lecturer at the University of Queensland, said such a large number of ticks is rare. He explained that while most tick bites cause local irritation, some can lead to severe allergic reactions or tick paralysis.
“MMA is a severe allergy to meat and products like milk, fat and gelatin from mammals,” he said. “The allergy risk is important in Australia because tick bites have been linked to sensitisation to alpha-gal.”
How to Prepare for a Bush Walk in Tick-Prone Areas
To reduce the risk of tick bites, Dr Etebari recommends:
- Wearing long sleeves, long pants, and socks
- Tucking pants into socks
- Using repellent
- Doing a full body and hair check after being outdoors
- Carrying a tick-freeze spray in tick-prone areas
“Bushwalkers should take ticks seriously, especially in coastal and bushy parts of eastern Australia. Stay on cleared tracks where possible, avoid brushing against long grass and low vegetation, and check your body, scalp and clothing carefully after the walk,” he said.
One week after the incident, Michelle’s welts have calmed down, but she still feels itchy and isn’t sure if all the ticks have been removed. Despite the ordeal, she encourages people to continue exploring nature, but to be aware and prepared.
“I don’t think anyone should let things like this put them off going out. I think they should just be aware and be prepared,” she said.
While her stroke symptoms subsided, Michelle is now waiting to see if she has developed MMA. The allergy can develop weeks after a tick bite.
“I’m just praying I don’t get it,” she said. “That would definitely be the last thing I need.”
