Treatment after ticks. Why a tick bite is dangerous: symptoms in humans and possible complications
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The site provides background information for informational purposes only. Diagnosis and treatment of diseases must be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. A specialist consultation is required!
General information
Ticks don't like dampness. Tick \u200b\u200bbites to be expected in warm and not rainy weather. During bite the tick injects a special anesthetic substance, so the attack occurs completely unnoticed. For bites, they choose hidden clothes and tender places. Favorite places of suction are elbows, scalp, legs and arms, groin.The most serious consequences lie in wait after a bite taiga
or european forest
ticks. These insect species are large enough compared to other members of the group. They feed on blood. The hard chitinous shell that covers the entire body of the insect stretches on the abdomen, so it can absorb quite a lot of blood and look like a large bean. Males are less than females and also absorb very little blood - one hour is enough for them to saturate. Ticks can sense their prey with their “nose” ten meters away, but they have no vision at all.
Three or even five years pass from the moment the egg is laid to the appearance of an adult. Moreover, over all these years, the tick only drinks the blood of its victims several times.
Tick \u200b\u200bhabitats
Ticks watch out for their victims in damp places, forests with good dense grass, not too shady. Favorite places are ravines, edges and paths overgrown with grass. It is on such paths that they expect their victims, because the paths store the smells of warm-blooded creatures.
Tick \u200b\u200bhabits
Blood-sucking ticks appear in the middle of spring, their population grows very quickly and by May their maximum number persists until the very beginning of July. After that, the population dies out, but some of its representatives can be observed in nature until the beginning of autumn.An insect on a blade of grass or a bush, up to 50 centimeters high, awaits a victim. Having sensed the object of the hunt, the insect pulls its legs forward and moves them, trying to grasp. He does this very quickly, hooks and suction cups, which are on the paws, help.
It is necessary to remember once and for all: not a single tick falls on a person or an animal from above. Found on his back or head, he simply crawled down there in search of the most convenient place to suck.
The most "tasty" places are on the neck, head in animals and in the folds of the skin in humans.
The female needs almost a week for full saturation. In the choice of food, they are picky: birds, and small or large mammals, and humans will do.
Possible consequences of a bite
One of the most serious consequences is infection with a disease. Infection occurs when the insect feeds. As soon as the tick digs into the victim's body with its proboscis, it releases its saliva. The saliva-producing glands are very large. Saliva is a very important substance that ticks need for many different processes. First of all, she "glues" the proboscis to the body. In addition, saliva contains an anesthetic that makes the puncture painless for the victim, substances that destruct the walls of blood vessels and disrupt the work of local immunity.
Viral encephalitis
It is a disease that affects the nervous system. In difficult cases, the patient develops paralysis and death.Ixodid ticks inhabiting the forests and forest-steppe of Eurasia are the main carriers and sources of encephalitis viruses. This disease is dangerous only in spring and autumn, since it is at this time that ticks are most active.
You can get infected both by a tick bite and by drinking unboiled milk from cows or goats infected with encephalitis.
A type of encephalitis, characteristic of the European part, is easier and causes death only in 2% of cases. Whereas a person with this disease in the Far East has a 30% chance of dying from the disease.
Small rodents are the main source of encephalitis. They get sick very easily, but they carry the disease almost unnoticed. From them the tick also becomes infected. Viruses can be found in almost all organs and tissues, including the salivary glands. When saliva is injected into the victim's body, the virus is simultaneously transmitted. Most viruses are found in the first thick portion of saliva, which acts like cement.
The encephalitis virus can be transmitted by ticks of either sex.
Symptoms
The symptoms of this disease are varied. They appear in a week or two after a tick bite:
- weakness of arms and legs
- violation of the sensitivity of the skin of the upper body,
- an increase in temperature to 39 - 40 degrees,
- general deterioration of health,
- strong headache ,
- redness of the skin of the upper body and mucous membranes,
- temporary deterioration of consciousness.
Tick-borne borreliosis or Lyme disease
The causative agent of this disease is spirochetes, which are distributed in nature, including ticks. The disease is chronic and affects almost all organs and systems. You can become infected with tick-borne borreliosis on almost any continent. In Russia, Tyumen, Kaliningrad, Perm, Yaroslavl, Leningrad, Tver and Kostroma regions, the Far East, Western Siberia, and the Urals are considered unfavorable for this disease.
A person infected with tick-borne borreliosis is not a source of danger to others.
Infection is carried out through the tick's saliva. The pathogen very quickly penetrates into almost all organs and tissues with the blood flow. After that, Borrelia can be in the body for decades.
Symptoms
Signs appear 2 to 30 days after the bite. At the site of the introduction of the virus, a large bright scarlet spot appears, which gradually increases in diameter up to 10 centimeters or even more. Most often, the spot is regular round or ellipsoidal. Along the edge, the spot is limited by a ridge protruding above the body level. Gradually, the middle of the spot loses its color intensity and becomes bluish, covered with a crust and scar. After 20 - 30 days, the stain completely disappears, and after another 4 - 6 weeks, symptoms of damage to the nervous and other systems appear.
The main diagnostic sign of the disease is a stain. It is imperative to treat this disease in a hospital, since if the pathogen is not destroyed, a chronic form develops, entailing disability.
Recurrent tick-borne typhus
These are acute infections caused by various representatives of spirochetes. They can be infected in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Krasnodar Territory, as well as in Africa, North and South America. Ticks are not only carriers of the pathogen, but even transmit them to their offspring. The infection is carried out during a tick bite.
Symptoms
A bubble appears at the site of infection. Once in the body, the pathogen actively multiplies and enters the bloodstream. The victim suddenly begins to shiver, he has a headache, he is very hot, he is lethargic, his limbs ache, the temperature rises to 39 - 40 degrees, he is nauseous. At this stage, the bubble turns dark red. The patient's body becomes covered with a rash, his liver and spleen are enlarged, and yellowing of the sclera and skin may be observed.
Sometimes there are symptoms of involvement in the process of the heart, respiratory organs. The acute period lasts 2 - 6 days, then the temperature returns to normal or almost normalizes. The patient's condition is improving. But after a few days, the second attack begins, which is no different from the first. There can be from four to twelve attacks. Subsequent attacks are usually easier than the first.
The disease is diagnosed with a blood test. Inpatient treatment. If a person was healthy and not exhausted before infection, then he has a good chance of recovering completely.
Q fever
It is one of the most common zoonotic ( the source is wild animals) rickettsioses all over the world. The causative agent of q-fever can exist in the environment for a long time, it is difficult to destroy it using disinfection, boiling ( not less than 10 minutes).
Q fever can be carried by both domestic animals and wild animals. Ticks are one of the carriers of pathogens, and they transmit them to their offspring.
It is quite difficult to get infected from a patient - only through sputum or breast milk. The pathogen enters the body through the respiratory system, digestion, dermis. A cured person has practically no chance of being infected again.
Symptoms
Symptoms can appear both a few days and a month after a tick bite. Usually the onset of the disease is rapid:
- body aches,
- headache,
- unproductive cough,
- increased work of the sweat glands,
- aversion to food,
- insomnia,
- redness of the face,
- an increase in body temperature up to 38 - 40 degrees.
For diagnosis, blood tests are taken, and the patient is examined. Q fever is treated only in the hospital. The disease responds well to drug treatment.
Hemorrhagic fevers
There are several types of hemorrhagic fevers that can be contracted through a tick bite: Crimean, Omsk, with renal syndrome. Omsk hemorrhagic fever practically does not occur today. The Crimean form is common in the Rostov region, in the Crimea, on the Taman Peninsula, in South Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Bulgaria. The causative agents of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome are found both in Asia and in Europe, regardless of the nature of the area. Symptoms
All these diseases occur with an increase in body temperature, hemorrhages under the skin, as well as into internal organs. The incubation period for Omsk and Crimean - from 2 to 7 days, for fever with renal syndrome - from 10 to 25 days.
It is very important not to squeeze the body of the insect - no matter how it is removed. It is also important not to tear off the tick head, because the proboscis remaining in the body can provoke a purulent process. If the head came off during the extraction of the tick, it may still contain pathogens that penetrate the human body.
If, after removing the tick, a small black dot remains at the site of suction, this means that the head has come off and must be removed. To do this, the affected area is treated with alcohol and the wound is cleaned using a disinfected needle. After removing the head, you need to lubricate the wound with alcohol or iodine.
It is completely useless to drip oil or alcohol on the tick, as some sources recommend. Such manipulations can lead to two results: either the tick suffocates and remains in the wound, or it gets scared and begins to secrete more saliva and, along with it, pathogens.
Pincer unscrews
Devices for removing ticks are preferable to tweezers in that the body of the insect does not shrink at all and no more secretion is squeezed into the wound. Thus, the likelihood of infection is reduced.Such devices are produced by foreign firms, but through online stores they can be bought in any country. The use of the appliance is very simple and it is based on the twisting principle. But such a device does not squeeze the insect's body at all, unlike tweezers.
Insect in the ear
This is a very unpleasant phenomenon that can result in a bite. To remove the insect from the ear, you need to put the victim, turn his head to one side and pour a small amount of slightly warmed water into the ear where the insect is. Lie for about a minute, then turn your head to the other side and wait until the water flows out and the insect comes out with it. Sometimes this is not enough, but in such cases, you cannot do without medical assistance.After being bitten
If the bite occurred in epidemiologically unfavorable areas, it will not be enough to pull out the tick only. Even one puncture is enough to introduce pathogens into the wound.After removal, the insect should be placed in a glass bottle and a small piece of cotton wool slightly soaked in water should be thrown there. Be sure to seal the bottle tightly and keep it in a cold place until poisoning. For the analysis to be successful, the insect must be delivered to the laboratory alive.
There is also a technique that allows you to detect diseases on a part of the insect's body. But this is an expensive method - PCR, which is not very common.
Even if the insect itself is infected, this does not mean that the bite will certainly lead to human infection. The insect is investigated just in case to avoid surprises.
You should definitely contact the hospital if:
- the affected area is very red and very swollen,
- 5 - 30 days after the bite, the general state of health worsened: the body temperature increased, chills, the head hurts, it is difficult to move it, the eyes hurt from the light.
How is an encephalitis tick bite diagnosed?
Encephalitis carries about 13% of ixodid ticks, but just by looking at an insect it is in no way possible to determine whether it is infected or not. The answer will be given only by a laboratory study of the insect itself or the victim's blood. It is completely useless to take a blood test immediately after the bite. It takes at least a week for the infection to develop in the body. Therefore, usually a PCR analysis is prescribed 10 days after the bite.
This test can detect borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. A blood test for the presence of antibodies is done even later. Antibodies to the tick-borne encephalitis virus will be found in the blood only 14 days after the bite, and to Borrelia only after 4 weeks.
Immunoglobulin and other emergency aids following a bite
If the areas where the bite occurred are epidemiologically unfavorable, it is necessary to urgently prevent the development of serious diseases, primarily tick-borne encephalitis. Prevention is carried out without fail if the person is not vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, as well as in cases where there is a high probability of infection ( the tick is a carrier of the virus, several ticks were found at once).It is best if the required drugs are injected within 24 hours of the bite. If more than four days have passed, prevention is useless.
To prevent tick-borne encephalitis, immunoglobulin or antiviral drugs are used. These remedies are useless when infected with tick-borne borreliosis and other diseases carried by ticks.
Immunoglobulin
Today it is considered an obsolete drug and is no longer used in developed countries. Its disadvantages include high cost, as well as a side effect in the form of allergies.
Immunoglobulin is made from donated blood serum. The drug is produced only from the blood of people who already have antibodies to the tick-borne encephalitis virus.
It is used for the prevention and treatment of tick-borne encephalitis in people of different ages.
The drug is effective only in the first three days after a possible infection. Before starting use, you should study the instructions, since immunoglobulin has many contraindications, and the drug itself causes a sufficient number of side effects.
The drug is used exclusively as directed by a doctor. Infused intramuscularly, the dosage is selected taking into account the body weight of the victim.
Antiviral agents
Most commonly used iodantipyrine for patients who have reached the age of 14 and anaferon for babies. In the event that none of these drugs are available, you can use any antiviral drug sold in the pharmacy ( arbidol, cycloferon, remantadine).
Yodantipyrine is an antiviral agent that stimulates the immune system, relieves inflammation. Under the action of this drug, the cell membranes stop passing viruses inside. The production of alpha and beta interferons is activated. The drug is effective against tick-borne encephalitis virus, influenza, parainfluenza, vesicular stomatitis, hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome. It is used for both treatment and prevention of diseases. The drug is prohibited to use in case of hyperfunction of the thyroid gland.
Remantadine - It should be taken no later than 48 hours after the bite, 100 mg twice a day with an interval of 12 hours. Duration of admission is three days.
What does a bite look like?
The tissues at the site of the bite turn red and swell - this is the body's normal response to a tick bite. Normally, redness should go away on its own in a couple of days after the insect is completely removed. But if you drink antihistamines, the redness should go away faster. Redness with borreliosis ( erythema) appears 5 to 7 days after the bite.
Graft
Vaccination is an effective method of preventing infection. The example of Austria is very indicative, which ranked first on the mainland in the number of cases of tick-borne encephalitis. But when the total vaccination was introduced, the incidence rate in the country dropped significantly. Today, at least 80% of the population is vaccinated there. The effectiveness of the vaccination is 95%.The vaccine contains a killed tick-borne encephalitis virus. Once in the body, it is remembered by the immune system and subsequently, upon contact with this pathogen, the immune system instantly suppresses it. Persistent immunity develops 14 days after revaccination ( second vaccination). That is why you should get vaccinated in advance - even in winter.
Who should get vaccinated?
- people who live in areas unfavorable for tick-borne encephalitis,
- people who are going on a trip to areas unsuccessful for this disease.
Vaccination should be done after the end of the season of insect activity, that is, from the end of autumn. The vaccination schedules for different vaccines differ slightly. In addition, emergency schemes have been developed for special cases, which make it possible to obtain immunity in a shorter time.
In special cases, you can be vaccinated in the warm season, but it should be borne in mind that immunity will appear three to four weeks after the first vaccination. This time it is advisable to avoid contact with insects.
To maintain immunity, revaccination should be carried out once every three years ( one dose of vaccine). If after the next vaccination more than 5 years have passed, it is necessary to carry out double vaccination again.
Bite insurance
Tick \u200b\u200bbite insurance has its own characteristics compared to other types of insurance. So, the insurance policy does not provide monetary compensation for a tick bite, but a number of medical services:1. The victim will be admitted to a special medical facility dealing with seroprophylaxis.
2. The tick will be removed.
3. Within two to three days after the bite, the victim will receive a preventive course of immunoglobulin.
All other services may vary depending on the insurance company. For example, the most budgetary insurance option provides for only a single immunization. If you pay for more expensive insurance, you can get not only the full amount of immunization, but also therapy in the hospital if the disease develops, as well as all the necessary medicines for post-hospital recovery.
Insurance can be individual, and can be family ( one insurance policy is issued at once for all household members).
When making insurance, you need to ask the agent as much as possible about all the intricacies. Then you need to read the contract carefully - some insurance agents exaggerate and embellish the benefits of insurance.
You should be very careful when considering the following points:
1.
Insurance amount. This is the amount of money that the insurance company will use for medical care. Sometimes the insurer claims to provide full medical care and recovery, but a very small amount of money is included in the contract. In this case, it is almost impossible to get everything you need. To calculate the amount of money you need, you should find out the prices for immunization and all necessary medical procedures.
2.
What services are included. What exactly does the insurance company undertake to provide? The policy can only indicate a single immunization. In this case, it is useless to expect more, even if the amount of insurance is large enough. The question arises: what do you need so much money for? This question is most relevant when buying an insurance policy for the whole family.
3.
There must be an attachment to the insurance contract: a list of all medical institutions where you can get help with insurance. Moreover, it is convenient if they are quite close. There are insurance companies that provide services throughout your country. After all, if you apply for medical help to an institution with which there is no agreement, you will need to pay for all received medical services.
Most policies indicate that immunoglobulin is administered no more than once every 4 weeks. This is dictated by medical indications: injecting this drug more often is not only useless, but even harmful. For a month, the medicine acts as a kind of inoculation.
How to protect yourself?
First of all, when going to the habitat of ticks, you need to dress correctly. Clothes should be with long sleeves, trousers, you also need to put something on your head, preferably a hood. Thermal underwear can be very convenient, as it fits perfectly to the body and prevents the insect from crawling into secluded places. Long socks or knee-highs are required, and the legs should be tucked into boots or chosen with cuffs.
It is advisable that the collar is buttoned tight enough.
Another effective remedy for ticks is repellents ... They are sold in many stores and pharmacies.
The repellent should be applied to the places where the tick hits in the first place - legs, shoes and legs to the thigh. Tick \u200b\u200brepellents are quite toxic, so it is advisable to avoid getting them on open areas of the body.
And the third remedy is vigilance. You should periodically examine each other for prophylaxis.
What should I do if bitten by a tick
Before use, you must consult with a specialist.
Thus, many ticks can wait for weeks for a suitable prey, and not in all cases the hunt for them ends successfully. After the tick is on the human body, it needs to find the most suitable place for the bite. For a long time, the tick can choose the place that will be optimal for the bite. Favorite tick bite sites are:
- small of the back;
- stomach;
- groin area;
- armpits;
- chest;
- ear area.
Typical manifestations of infection
- weakness;
- chills;
- drowsiness;
- fast fatiguability;
- photophobia;
- aching joints;
- skin rash;
- increased body temperature;
- tachycardia;
- itching at the site of the bite;
- lymphadenopathy.
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As a rule, the first symptoms of a tick bite and diseases that are caused by pathogenic microflora contained in its saliva can be observed after a few days. If a few weeks after a tick bite a person has a headache and characteristic signs of general intoxication of the body appear, he urgently needs to consult a doctor and carry out tests, since the appearance of such symptoms may indicate the development of a particular disease caused by the spread of pathogenic microorganisms through the tick's saliva ...
Pest-borne diseases
- lyme disease;
- tick-borne typhus;
- tick-borne encephalitis;
- crimean hemorrhagic fever;
- ehrlichiosis.
The most common diseases that develop after a tick bite are tick-borne encephalitis. Tick-borne encephalitis develops when a virus enters the bloodstream of a person along with the saliva of a tick, which primarily affects the nervous system. As a rule, after a 2-week incubation period, signs of general intoxication, headaches, and sometimes impaired motor activity, delirium and other conditions indicating damage to the brain and spinal cord appear. There are several forms of the course of this disease. When infected with some strains of the virus, the tick-borne course can be so severe that even with proper drug treatment, it is far from always possible to save a person's life, and in addition, often even after the therapy and the elimination of the virus from the blood, long-term rehabilitation is required to get rid of the consequences of encephalitis.
Tick-borne borreliosis or Lyme disease also manifests itself with rather pronounced symptoms. Since a specific annular erythema appears at the site of the bite, and the rash can occupy a fairly large area, it is extremely difficult not to notice it. In the future, signs of general intoxication, headaches and other characteristic symptoms may appear. Tick-borne borreliosis is extremely dangerous in that in some cases it can become chronic and occur with pronounced relapses, and the autoimmune processes that are triggered by this disease often affect the tissues of the heart, joints, skin and other organs.
First aid to the victim
Blood-sucking ticks are potential carriers of several pathogens that cause life-threatening diseases. The most serious pathologies registered in the post-Soviet countries are tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and spotted fevers.
External examination of damaged skin
Ticks are representatives of the order of arachnids, measuring up to three millimeters (standard sizes are 0.1-0.5 mm). According to the method of obtaining vital energy, small creatures are divided into saprophages that feed on organic residues (for example, dust, granary, scabies, spider mites and linen mites) and blood-sucking predators.
A tick bite can be fatal to humans. An infectious agent in saliva gets under the skin during a bite, which is fraught with subsequent infection.
The tick is attached to the outer shell of its victim with the help of a special organ - a hypostome, located under the mouth of the predator (hypostoma: hypo - under, stoma - mouth). Most often, the bite falls on the delicate and thin skin, under which there are many capillary vessels.
- The most popular areas are the area of \u200b\u200bthe face, ears, neck, abdomen, armpits, as well as the groin and lumbar region.
At first, the patient may not even notice that a tick has stuck into his skin, since the bite itself is almost painless. Over time, focal inflammation and manifestations of allergies appear. This is the standard response of the human body to a tick bite.
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Tick \u200b\u200bbite symptoms, photo
Tick \u200b\u200bbite photos and symptoms in humans
The detection of a sucked tick on the skin is a reliable and first sign of a bite. In appearance, it resembles a small convex mole. The patient's well-being may deteriorate sharply, in connection with which there are complaints of drowsiness, photophobia, headache and lethargy.
When a tick bite has occurred, the symptoms in a person do not always have severity, so the patient may simply not attach importance to negative changes. It should also be borne in mind that the degree of deterioration in health depends on the number of tick bites and the tendency of the human body to allergic manifestations.
The next day (subject to infection) aggravating symptoms appear. The victim's temperature rises to 38 degrees, the number of heart attacks increases, and blood pressure decreases.
Sometimes signs of a tick bite are manifested in the form of allergic reactions, expressed by skin rashes and irritation. On palpation of the lymph nodes, their increase is noted (especially those that are closest to the site of the bite).
- Linen tick bites do not threaten human life.
At the site of skin microtrauma, small hyperemic blisters are formed, causing itching. After a few hours, the burning sensation subsides, and after a few days, complete healing occurs.
Options for the development of events can carry a favorable and unfavorable outcome. A tick bite in humans can lead to a serious illness, the severity of which depends on the speed of diagnosis and the correctness of the prescribed treatment.
It should also be borne in mind that such concomitant factors as pregnancy, the use of alcohol, drugs, persistent stress and psycho-emotional stress worsen the severity of symptoms. Sometimes the usual bite of a small tick leads to serious problems and irreversible deviations.
Table. Disability after a tick.
| Health group | a brief description of |
| 1st group | Severe disorders of the nervous and musculoskeletal systems, cortical epilepsy (frequent clonic or clonic-tonic muscle cramps in a certain muscle group), cerebral movement disorders, acquired dementia, failure of basic self-care. |
| 2nd group | Frequent epileptic attacks, combined with severe paresis, hemiparesis, changes in mental perception and thinking, muscle weakness, partial loss of control over one's behavior. |
| Group 3 | An unexpressed decrease in muscle strength, work ability and mental analysis, weak attacks of epilepsy. |
Signs of tick-borne diseases
characteristic "red bagels"
The most characteristic external sign that you should pay attention to is the appearance of a specific circular erythema that is observed with. A red spot is formed in the center, surrounded by a red ring after a few centimeters.
It looks like a bagel (the symptom appears the next day), then a crust and scar forms at the site of erythema, disappearing without a trace after a few weeks.
Table. The main signs of infectious pathology.
| Disease (pathogen) | Description |
| Tick-borne encephalitis (a disease caused by an acrobovirus) | The duration of the incubation period (latent course of the disease without external signs) after the encephalitis tick bite has occurred is up to three weeks. The disease begins acutely, with persistent fever, severe headache and muscle pain. Encephalitis after a tick bite can take the following forms:
|
| (causative agent - borrelia, spirochete family) | Once in the bloodstream, pathogenic microbes spread throughout the body, settling in various vital organs and tissues, such as the brain, heart, kidneys, joints, muscles, eyeballs, liver. The defeat can occur in a latent, acute or chronic form, with progression or self-elimination.
Characteristic erythema is the main symptom by which the acute degree of the disease is determined. The sizes of the rings in diameter are about 10-15 cm. A month after the bite, negative changes in the heart, nervous tissue and joints appear. Severe complications can lead to death. |
| Ehrlichiosis (causative agent - E. Chaffeensis or E. Phagocytophila) | Mortality occurs in about 5% of cases. The incubation period lasts 1-2 weeks. At first, the victim feels chills, muscle pain, then the body temperature rises (37-38 degrees). If we consider a complete blood count, then you can see thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. Complications are rare, with severe forms. As a rule, the consequences are renal failure and neurological disorders. |
| Tick-borne spotted fevers (causative agent of Rickettsia sibirica, R. conorii) | A painless papule with a dark crust forms at the site of the tick bite. The incubation period is several weeks. The increased temperature lasts from two to fifteen days. Also, headaches and muscle pains, sleep disturbances, redness of the face and neck are noted, on the third or fourth day - the appearance of a profuse rash. As a rule, the disease is reversible and does not affect organs and tissues. |
First aid for a tick bite
Upon arrival home, it is important to carefully examine your body for the presence of a "spider". Ticks are cautious creatures and, before sucking, they can search for a favorite site for a long time (about three hours). If a black predator is found on the body, which has not yet dug into the skin, then it should be shaken off by hand.
- Contact a specialist for safe removal;
- Take care of the inspection of the tick by the sanitary service for sterility (its infectiousness and the possibility of being a carrier of dangerous diseases are being studied);
- Treat the bite site with a disinfecting medication: brilliant green, iodine or alcohol.
It should be remembered that the tick is studied only in a live state. In this regard, it is not recommended to extract it yourself using improvised means, since the predator may die due to incorrect actions.
It is not worth killing a tick yet, because when realizing the danger, it can secrete copious saliva and, if it was infected, a huge number of infectious agents will enter the victim's body.
In addition, with the penetration of a large amount of secretion into the bloodstream, there is a risk of getting a serious allergic reaction in the form of Quincke's edema, leading to respiratory failure up to a stop.
First aid for tick biteswhen aggravating allergic symptoms appear:
- Give the patient antihistamines (Diphenhydramine, Suprastin);
- Hormonal agents are recommended for temporary inhibition of the immune defense (Prednisolone, Dexazon);
- Place a tourniquet above the bite to prevent the spread of the allergen;
- Provide a stream of fresh air: open the window, unfasten the top buttons on the collar, remove the scarf.
If the analysis of the tick showed its infection, then the victim should undergo compulsory therapy. Depending on the identified pathogen, certain antibiotics and antihistamines are prescribed.
In the first three days, immunoglobulin against tick-borne encephalitis is administered. If the victim has an increase in body temperature, then antipyretic drugs are prescribed. Ten days later, it is recommended to take a blood test for antibodies to the identified pathogen.
Prevention and vaccinations
Today, vaccination is the most effective method for preventing encephalitis. It must be carried out by those who live in disadvantaged areas, in which diseases from ticks are often recorded.
The first vaccination can be given at 12 months of age. The product is protected for one year. After that, it is recommended to carry out revaccination (after a year), the effect of which is 36 months. There is also such a thing as "emergency vaccination". It is held just before leaving for nature or a tourist trip. The term of her protection is one month.
- Vaccination is not carried out after a tick bite, as the course of the disease may worsen!
Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis has a number of contraindications. It is not done for symptoms of a cold or ARVI, temperature, allergic reactions. Before carrying out it, a medical examination is required!
It is important not to self-medicate when a tick bites. Remember, your own life is at stake. Contacting a specialist (infectious disease specialist) is recommended for diagnostics and obtaining a subsequent treatment regimen. You must fully trust your doctor and follow his recommendations.
The bite of a tick, a small creature that cannot fly, that lives only in grass or low bushes, can cause a person a lot of health problems, up to disability, or death. What can be the symptoms of a tick bite in humans and the consequences of this incident, we will figure it out further.
How does a tick bite?
Ticks are blood-sucking organisms that belong to the arachnid family. This is the largest group in this class. Quite small arthropods, a couple of millimeters in size, a large individual reaches only half a centimeter. Despite this, they can cause irreparable harm to a person. The bite of this creature is completely invisible, painless. Symptoms of an encephalitis tick bite in humans appear later.
How does the bite of an uninfected individual manifest?
Statistics show that in the overwhelming majority of cases, arachnids are not infected with infectious diseases and their bite, provided that the tick is noticed on the skin on time and correctly removed, will not have any unpleasant consequences, except for external visible manifestations at the site of suction.
Local symptoms of an uninfected tick bite in humans (photo is presented below) are not dangerous in any way and appear in the form:
There may be some other common signs of an uninfected tick bite in humans, the most common of which are the following:
- headaches;
- aching joints;
- fear of light;
- general weakness and drowsiness;
- itchy skin;
- tachycardia;
- lowering blood pressure;
- enlargement of some lymph nodes;
- sometimes completely atypical manifestations may occur: nausea, vomiting, nervous disorders.
External signs
Let us examine what symptoms after a bite of an infected tick appear in humans. It is worth noting that an outwardly infected arachnid is no different from a non-sick one. The site of the bite on the human skin may not have special signs, sometimes, if the tick is infected with Lyme disease (borraliosis), they can:
After the incubation period
Other scenarios are also possible. A tick taken independently can be placed in an airtight container and delivered to the laboratory in order to determine the carriage of infections.
Or, in the absence of such an opportunity, you can donate blood on your own, without waiting for a possible infection to gain momentum. Diseases carried by ticks are diagnosed in the laboratory at a very early stage.
The most common disease that ticks carry is the spring-summer tick-borne meningoencephalitis. Symptoms of an encephalitis tick bite in humans appear after an incubation period (1-2 weeks). This dangerous viral disease leads to extremely serious neurological consequences and death.
It should be noted that out of a hundred ticks, only 6 individuals are carriers of the virus. About 2-6% of those exposed to bites can get sick from them.
Symptoms after a bite of an encephalitis tick in humans correspond to the phases of the course of the disease: the first stage, remission and the second stage.
|
Phases |
Manifestations |
| The first | The duration of manifestations is usually 2-4 days. The following symptoms may appear:
A blood test can reveal leukopenia and / or thrombocytopenia. |
| Remission | This period lasts 8 days. It is characterized by the disappearance of symptoms, complete and rather sharp. |
| The second | Develops in 20-30% of those infected. It can go in two directions, or the manifestation of both groups of symptoms is possible.
|
It is possible to detect a virus by a blood test at the first stage, but practice shows that the disease is diagnosed only in the second phase of its course. Usually conducts differential diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis with such ailments as:
- tumor processes of the central nervous system;
- purulent diseases of the brain;
- pathology of the vessels of the brain;
- polio;
- encephalitis of another pathogenesis;
- flu;
- borreliosis.
The only effective therapy here is the early injection of immunoglobulin. In other cases, the developing disease is fatal (within a week after the development of the neurological clinic of the disease). The Far Eastern subtype of tick-borne encephalitis is especially often developed in this way.
Prevention of encephalitis is very effective. This is vaccination with a special drug according to certain schemes for different cases (local residents of endemic areas, visiting tourists, etc.).
Non-specific methods of prevention must be followed in order to avoid disastrous consequences:
- barrier protection (clothing covering all parts of the body);
- chemical protection (repellents);
- a thorough examination after a walk in the forest;
- timely removal of the sucked individual;
- immediate visit to a doctor for examination.
Clinic of Borreliosis
Lyme disease is carried by a special species of arachnids - ixodid ticks. They live mainly in the forests of the northern hemisphere. However, Borrelia carry migratory birds long distances. An infected tick has borrelia in its body for life and passes on to its offspring.
These microorganisms are contained in the stomach of arachnids and extremely rarely in saliva, therefore, infection does not always occur when bitten. But the consequences of infection are quite dangerous, especially in the absence of competent treatment started on time.
Borraliasis, an infection that attacks almost all tissues and organs of the human body and can manifest itself in a variety of different symptoms. Often, those attacked by arachnids ask the question: how long after a tick bite do symptoms appear in humans? Infectionists claim that the disease can manifest itself both a few days after infection, and after a month. The incubation period depends on the resistance of the infected organism and its immunity.
Symptoms of Borreliosis after a tick bite in humans are divided according to the stages of the disease. There are three such stages of a group of clinical manifestations:
|
Stages |
Manifestations |
| I. | The first stage can take place both with a very violent manifestation of symptoms, and with an even course. Most often noted:
A rash on the face, conjunctivitis (not often) may appear. If the infection reaches the meninges, the following symptoms may appear:
In some cases, a clinic of so-called "anicteric" hepatitis may occur:
Some infected may show only skin signs of the disease, or the clinic may be completely absent. Sometimes the development of the disease stops at this stage, especially after competent and timely treatment. |
| II. | The disease does not always go into this stage, if it happens, then after a couple of three months. It is characterized by manifestations of a neurological nature in the form of the development of the clinical picture of the following diseases:
There are throbbing headaches, extreme fatigue and fatigue. The innervation of the face is disturbed. Some cardiac disorders may occur:
Cases of benign facial skin lymphocytoma have been reported. |
| III. | This period can form only in 10% of patients not earlier than six months or 2 years after the onset of infection.
So extremely seriousthe consequences of a tick bite in humans, symptoms may be as follows:
|
| Chronic stage | If untreated, the disease becomes chronic. This period is characterized by the alternation of remissions and relapses. May lead to bone destruction (osteoporosis), chronic cutaneous lymphocytoma, skin atrophy. |
This pathology is dangerous in that the symptoms may not appear for a long time (up to six months). And at this time, the virus progresses in the human body, showing itself only when the disease has gone far.
But, the prognosis for this disease is not always difficult. Quite often, the disease subsides at the first stage of development. Much depends on the strength of immunity. If the disease has passed to the second and then to the third stage, not everything is so cloudless here. Requires long-term observation and treatment in a hospital.
The only preventive measures are barrier protection and a thorough examination after walking. It is important to detect the bloodsucker in time and remove it from the skin correctly. According to statistics, among officially registered bitten people, the percentage of those infected with Lyme disease does not exceed 1.75%.
Consequences of a bite. How to minimize them?
- Ehrlichiosis;
- Typhus (tick-borne);
- Dermatobiasis (especially dangerous for children, since their treatment does not bring the desired effect and the disease can lead to death);
- Anaplasmosis;
- Smallpox rickettsiosis;
- Q fever / tsutsugamushi fever;
- Babesiosis.
The clinical picture in the early stages of infection with any of these infections will be similar. It is important to consult a doctor if warning symptoms appear. Manifestations begin after a few days. If the detected bloodsucker is taken for analysis to the laboratory after seizure, then its analysis will help determine a possible infection and take action immediately.
Most often, the bite passes without systemic consequences, since in the vast majority of ticks are sterile, but in case of infection, such consequences can arise as:
- long-term illness and treatment;
- disability groups I, II, III;
- death.
Alcohol addiction, pregnancy, weak immunity, fatigue and stress can aggravate the effects of infection.
In Europe, experts are familiar with 15 diseases that are spread by these arthropods, and at least 7 of them affect humans. Tick-borne infections are distinguished by a wide variety of nature (viruses, bacteria, protozoa, rickettsia) and the species composition of pathogenic microorganisms.
What diseases do ticks carry
The most relevant among the transmissible natural focal diseases from ticks in humans are:, tick-borne, ehrlichiosis. These infections are very difficult, can lead to disability, have a chronic course and a long rehabilitation period (up to 1 year). Also ticks carry: relapsing tick-borne typhus, tularemia, babesiosis, spotted fever.
Diseases transmitted by ticks are characterized by different pathological processes in the human body.
Lyme disease or borreliosis
Can be transmitted by three types of bacteria of the genus Borrelia. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is the most common tick-borne infection. In many cases, the pathology is stopped by antibiotics if the diagnosis was made on time and treatment was carried out in the early stages. The clinical picture is characterized by skin manifestations with the addition of neurological, articular and cardiac symptoms.
Tick-borne encephalitis
Transmitted by arbovirus, which belongs to the genus Flavivirus. Ticks become infected from animals and carry the virus to humans. The disease is accompanied by biphasic fever, lesions of the central nervous system (encephalitis, meningitis) and requires intensive treatment. Can lead to persistent neurological and psychiatric complications.
Ehrlichiosis
Among tick-borne diseases, monocytic ehrlichiosis is a relatively young infection. The pathology was first identified in 1987 in the United States. Pathogens (ehrlichia) enter the body with the saliva of the tick and, multiplying, lead to inflammatory processes of a different nature in the internal organs. Clinical manifestations have a wide range: from asymptomatic forms of the course to death.
Tick-borne relapsing fever
This acute infectious disease is carried by ticks of the family. Pathology is caused by borrelia, manifested by febrile recurrent attacks. The disease is rather benign, with deaths occurring as an exception.
Tularemia
Clinical manifestations depend on the form of the disease. A characteristic feature is an increase in lymph nodes to the size of a walnut. Pathology can provoke specific complications (secondary tularemia pneumonia, peritonitis, meningoencephalitis), as well as abscesses and gangrene.
Babesiosis
Another of the diseases transmitted from ticks to humans. It is caused by babesias, which, after being bitten, penetrate into human erythrocytes, where they multiply, while destroying red cells. The disease develops against the background of reduced immunity. With its course, anemia increases, symptoms of acute renal and hepatic failure are observed. Babesiosis is asymptomatic in people with normal immune status.
Spotted fever
It is caused by microorganisms of bacterial origin from the rickettsia group. This disease occurs in humans from a tick bite, the pathogen can also get into the wound when the infected arthropod ruptures and the area is combed. It affects the vessels, causes such severe complications as strokes, renal failure. In all cases, the prognosis is quite serious.
Symptoms of tick-borne diseases
The development of symptoms depends on the pathogen, which can enter the human body along with the tick's saliva after a bite. Since ticks carry a lot of diseases, the manifestations of infection are varied.
Typical symptoms of the most common tick-borne diseases
| Disease | The main symptoms |
| Fever, headache, fatigue, stiff neck muscles, nausea, vomiting. A characteristic symptom is a specific skin rash, a spreading ring-shaped redness - erythema migrans. | |
| Tick-borne encephalitis | A sudden increase in body temperature up to 38-39 ° C, headache, stiff neck muscles, repeated vomiting. Development of general weakness, pain in the muscles of the back, neck, arms. Stunned consciousness may be observed. There is a meningeal syndrome, which is joined by atrophic paralysis. |
| Ehrlichiosis | Acute onset with a sharp rise in temperature and tremors. Typical muscle and joint pain, general malaise. The manifestations of ehrlichiosis include a rash, vomiting or nausea, and there are abdominal pains (in the abdomen). |
| Tick-borne relapsing fever | The clinical picture develops approximately on the 14th day of the disease after a tick bite. The disease begins acutely with fever and severe headaches. In addition, insomnia and weakness appear, and appetite disappears. By the time the temperature rises, a dark cherry papule forms on the skin, and various forms of rash occur. Sometimes jaundice develops, there are moderate pains in the joints, calf muscles. |
