Some information on tick bites:-
The tick bite itself is totally painless and most people will only know they have been bitten if they become aware of a feeding adult tick attached to them.
However, it is the pinhead size nymph that is the most likely to bite you.
What do ticks eat?
Ticks feed on the blood of just about any bird or mammal and some reptiles too. They pick up Lyme disease and other infections from these animals, e.g. mice, voles, squirrels, blackbirds, pheasants and seabirds, which naturally carry the diseases. Ticks carry more diseases than any other invertebrate host. If an infected tick subsequently bites you, it may transfer one or more of the diseases into your bloodstream.
A tick can be born with the disease that its infected mother tick carries. So, all three stages of the life cycle, larva, nymph and adult, are capable of transmitting disease.
When are ticks active?
Cold temperatures reduce tick activity, so ticks are most active from April to October. During warm winters & in certain areas of Britain, ticks 'quest' for blood throughout the whole year. Ticks may survive for more than a year without food & their bodies can remain in a dormant state for long periods. Because their bodies dry out easily, lack of moisture can be fatal to them at these times, e.g. hot, dry summers & very cold or dry winters.
Where are ticks active?
Ticks can survive in many places but prefer slightly moist, shady areas such as grass, bracken, bushes and leaf litter. This is also where the animals they feed on are most likely to visit. Ticks can be found in both rural and urban locations. They are least likely to live in short grass or dry heather.
Do all ticks carry diseases?
There are ?hotspot? locations throughout Britain where tick activity has been linked with cases of one or more of the tick-borne diseases. The reality is that we do not know what percentage of ticks are infected in such areas. Even less is known about other areas of the country where ticks may be present in large numbers but the link between ticks and disease symptoms has not been made. For example, not many people realise that Lyme disease is known to be present in central London parks.
Where & for how long will the tick bite me?
Many people are unaware that they have been bitten because the ticks are tiny and their bites are usually painless. Ticks can attach anywhere on your body, so you do need to check all over. For adults it is particularly important to check armpits, groin, navel, neck and head. In addition, on children, ticks are also frequently found on the head at the hairline.
There are ongoing debates as to how long a tick must remain attached to you before transmitting a disease. The minimum length of time is not known, but it is certainly an outdated fallacy that a tick must remain attached for two days. It makes sense that the longer a tick is attached, the more chance you have of being infected by any disease that it carries. However, some research has shown that at least one of the tick-borne diseases, Ehrlichia can be transferred almost immediately.
If an infected tick bites me, will I become ill?
The majority of people who are bitten by a tick, do not experience disease symptoms.
In some instances this will be because the tick was not infected. In other cases people can remain asymptomatic (without symptoms) although they do actually carry the disease. Some of these people may never have symptoms, while others can start to experience illness at a later time in their life. However, some victims can start feeling noticeably ill within days or weeks of being bitten. The majority of people may never make the link between their illness and a tick bite.
I would get this bite further investigated byt he GP asap; do not try and self treat in case you actually spread the poison around. it may be that you will require a course of antibiotics.