How a person feels after a tick bite. The first signs and symptoms of a tick bite

The bite of an infected tick can change a person's life - deprive him of health, confine him to a wheelchair. How to protect yourself and what should be your actions if the tick is still bitten? Read more about this later in the article.

With the onset of spring and until July, meeting with ticks becomes an undesirable event for us, causing not only a disgusting feeling of fear of a bite, but also of the possibility of contracting a serious disease.

Already no one is surprised to find a tick on clothes or body after a walk in a park or a green zone of a metropolis. These small creatures from the arachnid class may end up in our apartments, accidentally added to the clothes or fur of pets.

From the names it is clear where the Ixodids prefer to live, although their distribution area is so large that individual individuals can be found on animals in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Ticks themselves are not hosts of viruses and bacteria, but rather reservoirs and vectors of disease from wild animals to humans.

Tick bite: symptoms

Every year, for every thousand tick bites in humans, there are several cases of infection with dangerous diseases. Diseases carried by ticks are very serious - they affect the central nervous system, bone tissue, blood and blood vessels, with sad consequences for health and possible disability.

A dangerous virus or bacterium is transmitted from a tick after it is full and regurgitates excess blood along with saliva, infecting a person. The sooner we remove the tick from the body, the less chance of getting sick.

The tick selects warm, soft and open areas of the skin before starting the "meal":

armpits
groin area
head, eyebrows, beard, mustache
neck under hair
popliteal cavity
elbow bend area

Tick bite: when do symptoms appear?

The most unpleasant thing is that the initial signs of an infectious tick bite do not have distinctive features. Symptoms of infection with encephalitis, at best, appear the next day or every other day.

Viral tick-borne encephalitis

Encephalitis is a terrible disease that requires the administration of immunoglobulin serum within three days after a tick bite. Otherwise, the consequences for a person will be very serious.

Signs of an encephalitis tick bite appear in the first couple of days:

heat
Strong headache
fever
aching bones and muscles
lack of appetite, food rejection, vomiting
sleep disturbance
photophobia

The second stage is remission, lasting a week, followed by an exacerbation phase and secondary signs of an encephalitis tick bite.

Meningitis:

temperature
inflammation of the brain
Strong headache
increased neck muscle tone

Encephalitis:

clouding of consciousness
spinal cord inflammation
impaired motor skills
partial, flaccid paralysis, usually of the upper limbs

Complicated treatment, often ends in disability, and in some cases, death.

In 20% of cases, a small penetration of the virus into the bloodstream, after a slight malaise, becomes a lifelong vaccination against encephalitis.

Lyme disease (borreliosis)

After a tick bite infected with borreliosis, the symptoms do not appear immediately, in contrast to the deterioration of the condition of people infected with encephalitis, immediately in the first days:

the beginning of the active phase with a delay of 10-30 days, up to several months
erythema forms at the site of the bite - a specific reaction on the skin in the form of pink rings on different parts of the body

In the active phase, the symptoms of borreliosis resemble a cold, if measures are not taken in time, the spirochete bacterium infects the body and a person remains disabled for life.

When visiting foreign countries on tourist trips, take an interest in epidemiology, there are places where almost all ixodid ticks (70-90%) are infected with borreliosis. In Russia, there have also been cases of transmission of bacteria to humans through a bite.

Hemorrhagic (Crimean) fever

The hemorrhagic fever virus is transmitted from small rodents through the blood to ticks and then to humans. There are pronounced hemorrhages in the soft tissues of the parenchyma and mucous membranes.

Signs of an infectious tick bite hemorrhagic fever

change in blood composition
subcutaneous hemorrhage
blood vessels become thinner
bleeding of internal organs and nose
fever and chills after a tick bite

If you consult a doctor in time, the prognosis for improvement and recovery is positive.

How to avoid a tick bite?

In areas with frequent cases infection of people with encephalitis through tick bites, it is necessary to do a mass vaccination. Vaccination with a small amount of the encephalitis virus causes our body to produce antibodies, protecting against infection when bitten. Only 3% of people do not respond to the vaccine.

For borreliosis there are no means against bacteria, it is necessary to observe safety measures and proper behavior in the forest and during outdoor recreation.

First aid for tick bites

If you or your loved ones are bitten by a tick, you must carefully remove it to minimize viral and bacterial infections.

Consider how to get rid of ticks using methods that do not cause doubts among specialists:

If nothing is at hand, except for a handkerchief, we wrap our fingers with it and, taking the tick's body, we begin to gently pull it out, twisting it counterclockwise
Tweezers or a special device - "Lasso pen"

"Klinker"- outwardly resembles a nail puller or a spoon cut in the middle, just pry on and take out a tick

Plain thread- we make a "loop", leading the thread tightly over the skin, we tie it into a knot near the mouth apparatus.

The mark from a tick bite on a person's skin remains for a long time only if:

Lyme disease (borreliosis), a specific erythema with pink circles and a lighter central part, occurs in different places on the human body
Allergic reaction on a tick bite
Incorrect extraction of a tick from a wound with infection

Video: Tick bite - what to do and how to prevent?

Mid-spring is the beginning of the peak season for the activation of ticks, from the attack of which no one is immune, so it is important to know the signs of a tick bite in humans in order to carry out emergency prevention or preventive treatment. Everything you need to know about the signs of a bite, the consequences, methods of treatment and prevention - in our article.

taiga Ixodes Persulcatus;
European forest Ixodes Ricinus.

The absence of eyes is compensated by a highly developed sense of smell and touch, the increased sensitivity of these organs enables the animal to react with lightning speed to the proximity of the victim. During feeding, the back of the body of the females stretches, allowing it to absorb a volume of blood that is many times greater than the body weight of a hungry individual. Males are less bloodthirsty: males stick in for a short time, replenishing the deficiency of nutrients.

VIDEO: How the ixodids of the fauna attack

Tick-borne attacks: features

If a tick has bitten, the characteristic symptoms in a person appear only after a certain time. How serious the consequences of an attack by a blood-sucking insect relative can be is determined by a number of key points:

The response to a tick bite depends on the combination of the above conditions. The consequences of an attack by arthropods are diseases of natural focus, including infection:

encephalitis;
borreliosis - a neurological syndrome of Lyme disease;
typhus, relapsing fever;
hemorrhagic fever;
Q fever;
tularemia;
monocytic erchiliosis.

The attack of the female and the male is equally dangerous. The attack of a male individual is short-term plus painless, so the wound is difficult to notice right away. Cases of infection with encephalitis, when the victims deny the possibility of contact, are a clear example of a male attack.

Ticks in humans suck blood, immersing the head in the skin, pre-cutting the layers of the dermis, simultaneously injecting an anesthetic, fixing themselves inside by means of a hypostom, a special outgrowth resembling an anchor.

abdomen;
neck / nape / ears;
lower back / back;
chest;
armpits;
groin.

The result of a tick-borne attack is a microtrauma of the skin. A tick bite, symptoms are manifested by the development of an inflammatory process due to the action of the components of the animal's saliva. The most "harmless" consequences are local allergic reactions, accompanied by reddening of the suction area. When the effect of the anesthetic wears off, the skin begins to itch.

After the attack of the borreliosis vector, the bite site acquires a pronounced reddish tint, caused by the intense expansion of the capillaries. After a while, an additional bright red border appears around the round or oval spot, the area inside turns blue or whitens.

A tumor after a tick bite or the formation of a lumpy seal is due to two reasons:

allergy to the composition secreted by the salivary glands. Signs of a tick bite in an allergic person are determined by the degree of aggressiveness of the allergens secreted by the animal's saliva plus the individual immune response;
improper removal of the arthropod - part of the proboscis remains inside. The immune system recognizes a foreign protein compound, including a defense mechanism, the body reacts with swelling of the affected area, an abscess may occur.

Even when you are sure that the attacked tick is 100% a carrier of pathogens, the first signs appear only after a certain period of time.

Symptoms of damage to arthropods

Outwardly, the first signs of a tick bite appear:

headache;
chills, fever;
the development of tachycardia, a decrease in blood pressure;
vomiting;
deterioration in general health, apathy;
swelling of the affected area;
muscle weakness, numbness of the limbs;
shortness of breath;
decreased / loss of appetite;
photophobia - painful perception of bright light by the eyes.

Rare cases of allergic reactions are accompanied by Quincke's edema, temporary paralysis.

The latent period of borreliosis, ehrlichiosis, encephalitis, anaplasmosis is a month. A tumor after a tick bite can persist for a long time. Lack of temperature is a favorable sign. The onset of the inflammatory process and the formation of an abscess becomes a reason to see a doctor. Independent manipulations - moxibustion, heating, the use of ointments, are fraught with complications, a specialist consultation is necessary.

VIDEO: Tick bite, what to do and how to prevent

Encephalitis: Alarming Symptoms

The characteristic signs of a tick bite in humans, confirming one hundred percent infection with the disease, are absent. Only laboratory staff will be able to confirm or deny the fact that the bloodsucker is infected. An attack by an infected arthropod implies the gradual multiplication of pathogens, given the absence of pronounced manifestations of the disease. The primary signs of an encephalitis tick bite in humans will appear after 8-10 days. The presence of immunodeficiencies, chronic diseases can accelerate the development of symptoms of the disease, therefore, the state of health worsens after 3-4 days.

The onset of any form of pathology manifests itself similarly to the flu:

a feverish condition, accompanied by a high temperature up to 39.9 °;
body aches - muscle / joint pain;
a decrease in the vitality of the body;
headache.

Active reproduction of pathogenic bacteria provokes fever, the duration of the period is 6-10 days. Various scenarios are possible. A mild course of the disease implies recovery, rapid recovery of the body, and the production of antibodies that prevent re-infection. A rare occurrence is the change of a febrile form by a chronic course of the disease.

After the stage of fever, a short-term remission may also occur, then the viral attack resumes, accompanied by similar symptoms of fever. Overcoming the blood-brain barrier by the virus causes damage to the cells of the nervous system. A similar stage of encephalitis is characterized by the appearance of symptoms of meningitis. Viral attacks alternately disrupt the work of internal organs.

Certain signs are characteristic of different lesions:

The meningoencephalitic form is characterized by the appearance of hallucinations, pronounced changes in the psyche, paralysis, paresis, and epileptic seizures.
The poliomyelitis form is distinguished by a number of features characteristic of poliomyelitis, which causes a loss of the ability of the muscles of the neck and arms to move (paralysis).
The polyradiculoneurotic form is accompanied by damage to peripheral nerves, loss of sensitivity of the leg muscles, and the development of severe pain syndrome affecting the groin area.

An unfavorable outcome implies a significant decrease in the patient's quality of life. The result can be a violation of the functions of the musculoskeletal system. Progressive symptoms cause epilepsy of varying severity, hyperkinesis, severe mental disorders, severe asthenia - a person becomes disabled.

First aid

It is forbidden to pull a bloodsucker, use gasoline, kerosene, oil, vinegar, pouring chemicals into the lesion site. Such manipulations are fraught with the death of the animal, relaxation of the oral apparatus, the ingress of the full volume of dangerous microbes into the bloodstream, and an increase in the risk of developing diseases.

The wound will need to be treated with an antiseptic composition, minimizing the intensity of the manifestation of the characteristic signs of damage. Edema appeared, difficulty breathing - it is advisable to make an intramuscular injection of Prednisolone.

The ideal option is to examine a live individual by means of microscopy, finding out whether the victim was attacked by a sterile or infected individual. The damaged body is also covered with ice and delivered to laboratory specialists. Rospotrebnadzor employees are engaged in research, address lists contain relevant sites.

Prevention and treatment of infections caused by blood-sucking arachnids

Symptoms and treatment of encephalitis exclude antibiotic therapy, implying:

compulsory hospitalization in a hospital;
adherence to bed rest, including a period of fever, plus the entire subsequent week, after the disappearance of acute flu symptoms;
the appointment of prednisolone, ribonuclease, rheopolyglucin, polyglucin, hemodez;
the manifestation of signs of meningitis is eliminated by increased dosages of preparations containing vitamin B, ascorbic acid;
breathing difficulties are alleviated by the use of mechanical ventilation methods - intensive ventilation of the lungs;
restorative therapeutic measures include courses of anabolic steroids, nootropics, tranquilizers.

Treatment of Lyme borreliosis requires the mandatory use of antibiotics, which help to stop the negative consequences of infection, quickly reducing the activity of spirochetes - the main pathogens of the disease. When the infection provoked a dysfunction of the nervous system, the patient requires compulsory hospitalization.

VIDEO: How to properly remove a tick from a person

Basic principles of drug therapy

To prevent the initial signs - the formation of a characteristic reddish spot, preparations of the tetracycline series are called upon - antimicrobial agents that can effectively treat infections of various origins. The use of bacteriostatic agents helps to minimize late-stage complications.
The development of the neurological syndrome of tick-borne borreliosis is stopped by courses of intravenous injections of antibiotics of the penicillin group, cephalosporins.
The disturbed water balance is restored with the use of saline solutions, vitamins, prednisolone, agents that stabilize the blood circulation of the brain, and the use of anabolic steroids.

You need to know the following facts:

Vaccination against encephalitis is guaranteed to protect against the disease.
After 10 days, a blood test is carried out using PCR methods. Polymerase chain reaction reveals microorganisms that provoke the development of encephalitis, Lyme borreliosis.
Two weeks later, a test is performed to determine the presence of antibodies that prevent infection with encephalitis.
A month later, the presence of Lyme borreliosis antibodies can be detected.

The choice of antigenic material for vaccination, shown to any person who is a resident of a disadvantaged region, who has a profession that requires frequent stay in a forest area, includes several types of vaccines produced by Russia, Switzerland, and Germany.

Vaccination with human immunoglobulin is a paid service. Free administration of gamma globulin is indicated for individuals, according to the terms of the encephalitis treatment program provided for by the voluntary health insurance policy.

Russian-made vaccines

The use of a concentrated cultured purified inactivated dry vaccine is indicated for children who have reached the age of four. The developer is the M.P. Chumakov Institute.
The introduction of the drug Encevir, produced by the research and production association Microgen, is allowed from the age of 18.

Vaccines of the Austrian manufacturer BaxterVaccine AG

the use of FSME-IMMUN Inject is indicated for the age category 1-16 years;
FSME-IMMUN Junior is used in a similar way.

German drugs

Encepur vaccine for children, allowed from the first years of life;
use of Encepur in adults, indicated from 12 years of age

Vaccinations are made to everyone interested, given the absence of contraindications. The primary vaccination can be given to children during the first year of life, preferably using imported drugs. Timely vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis is an effective preventive measure to minimize the symptoms and consequences of a tick-borne attack.

VIDEO: What to do if bitten by a tick

With the onset of warmth, many people rush to picnics in the forest, counting on a pleasant pastime. But it is in the spring-summer period that the danger of getting a tick bite is exacerbated, which can entail very serious consequences.

The danger persists throughout the period, from early spring, at a soil surface temperature close to 0.30C, until late autumn.

Ticks appear with the first spring rays. The peak of activity falls on the warmest month of spring and summer. The maximum number of visits to medical institutions falls on the period from the second half of April to July.

The most dangerous, based on the number of appeals, are the Siberian and Ural federal districts, the more favorable are the South and North Caucasus.

Why are tick bites dangerous?

A tick bite is the process of sucking an arthropod insect to human skin. Suction is carried out using a hypostome - a separate outgrowth in the tick, which performs the functions of the sense organs, retention and absorption. Most often, the tick chooses for a bite areas with the thinnest (delicate) skin - armpits, groin, chest and neck area, area behind the ears, abdomen.

The danger is characterized by the likelihood of a bite into the blood of a person, bacteria, infection or harmful microorganisms.

The most dangerous and widespread infection carried by ticks is "". They also represent, although less, but still a danger:

ehrlichiosis;
anaplasmosis and other infections.

Although only about 20% of the tick population are carriers of serious diseases, the bites of sterile arthropods (not carrying the tick virus, depending on the region in Russia, about 80-90%) are also dangerous to humans! Multiple bites cause allergic reactions in the body.

A tick is an arthropod animal from the order of arachnids. They are carriers of infections such as:

tick-borne meningoencephalitis;
tick-borne relapsing fever;
(Lyme disease);
hemorrhagic fever.

What happens during a tick bite

tick-borne borreliosis

The tick sting stings into the human body, following the sting, the tick's head also goes under the skin, it sucks blood and at the same time increases in size. That is why the tick is difficult to remove, there is a chance of rupture and part of the tick's body will remain under the skin.

Where to contact? If possible, it is better to contact a specialized institution, SES or trauma department.

The main signs of a tick bite

After the bite, oval redness remains, and itching appears. If you did not find a mark from a tick bite and did not feel anything, then after a while the first signs of a bite will appear: such as

high body temperature (39+ degrees);
fever;
chills;
weakness;
apathy;
fear of light;
drowsiness.

By the type of bite, the disease can also be diagnosed. For example, when the site of the bite can change size, from 10-20 centimeters and reach 60 centimeters (see photo above). Temperature, or rather its fluctuations, will also help to diagnose the disease.

With tick-borne encephalitis, the temperature rises 2-4 days after the tick-borne bite, then returns to normal and a further increase occurs on the 10th day. With borreliosis, the body temperature of a person is more stable and does not change with such a frequency. There is another disease that can be contracted by a tick bite, this is ehrlichiosis. In this case, a temperature fever will appear on the 14th day and can last up to 20 days.

What to do if the tick is still attached? You should not wait for the manifestation of the infection. As mentioned earlier, first aid consists in contacting specialists to remove the tick and submit it for examination. The examination is carried out on live individuals. But if, when the arthropod was removed, a rupture occurred, then the body is placed in ice and also sent for examination.

Incubation period

To check for the disease, it is necessary to do a blood test, but not earlier than 7 days after the bite. Immediately after, it makes no sense, the incubation period is still going on, it lasts differently for different diseases.

For example, in tick-borne encephalitis, the incubation period lasts up to two weeks, in tick-borne borreliosis up to a month.

First aid for a tick bite

What to do at home with a tick bite? When there is no way to get to the hospital, the tick can be removed at home. There are several ways:

With a thread. A loop is placed on the base of the tick's body and gently pulled, loosening from side to side.
The second method is tweezers. Here it is important to ensure that there is no rupture of the calf. There are special devices for removing ticks, they are a special clip, you can purchase it at any pharmacy. Lubricate the bite site with an antiseptic, any.

Attention! Do not coat the insect with various irritants, such as nail polish, oil, gasoline. There will be no effect, mites are not susceptible to liquid and, moreover, can inject their liquid and infect a person.

Necessary drugs for a tick bite

From the first day of the tick bite, it is necessary to carry out drug treatment.

So which pills should you drink?

If there are signs (when the affected area is visible) of tick-borne borreliosis, one tablet should be taken Doxycycline(With 200 mg), in the first 72 hours after the bite.

Symptoms and treatment of diseases caused by tick mowing

So, let's look at the symptoms and treatment of various diseases.

Tick-borne encephalitis

weakness in the limbs;
an increase in body temperature;
fever (temperature fluctuations);
nausea;
numbness of the face and neck;
sleep disappears (insomnia);
severe headaches;
inflammation of the mucous membranes (conjunctivitis).

Tick-borne is easy to confuse with, and this is why it is dangerous. The symptoms are very similar. The person himself may not correctly diagnose the disease and do not consult a doctor in time, time will be lost.

It is important to start treatment in the first hours after the bite.

On the 12-14th day, weakness and chills appear, the infection has already struck the lymph.

The next stage: impact on the nervous system. Treatment of tick-borne encephalitis consists in adherence to a pastel regimen. In the first two days, be sure to take the drug " Immunoglobulin human“.

Also, the victim is prescribed the following drugs:

Ribonuclease;
Prednisolone;
blood substitutes, increasing the basic blood reserve and eliminating acidosis ( Gemodez, Polyglyukin and Reopoliglyukin)
ascorbic acid

There is a danger of development. The most favorable outcome from infection with encephalitis will be chronic malaise. The victim's body can recover on its own after 2 months.

If the infection has managed to hit the cells of the nervous system, then paralysis of the legs and arms occurs. Possible deafness or blindness, inflammation of the brain, in severe cases, death.

Tick-borne borreliosis

First signs:

headache;
pain in joints, muscles;
chills;
an increase in body temperature;
vomit;
soreness, itching and redness at the site of the bite.

The danger is manifested in the fact that signs of infection can appear only a few months after the bite. During this time, irreversible processes will occur in the body.

The disease proceeds in several stages:

Stage 1. The main indicator is the bite site, it swells and becomes dense (papule). In a few days, it expands and becomes like a ring - in the center the skin is lighter than at the edges (see photo above). Moreover, the rim of the ring becomes swollen and lifts, as it were.
Stage 2 occurs if treatment is not followed. The nervous system, joints of the victim and the heart suffer. Any organ may be affected, as it spreads throughout the body.
Stage 3 can last for months or even years. The main diseases in the third stage:
1. Skin lesions (atrophic acrodermatitis);
2. Damage to the nervous system (encephalopathy, encephalomyelitis, polyneuropathy);
3. Juvenile.

Borrioliosis treatment consists in hospitalization of the victim. At the first stage, the following is prescribed:

Tetracycline (antibiotic from the tetracyclines group);
biostatics (Levomycetin or Lincomycin);
Polyglucin;
Reopolyglucinum.

If a neurological syndrome occurs, it is stopped. Piperacillin or Azlocillin.

If the treatment procedures are not started on time, a lethal outcome is possible.

In some cases, prescribe Benzylpenicillin, which is administered intravenously or intramuscularly.

Sometimes, when carrying out treatment and using many types of drugs, some of them may not suit the human body, and allergic reactions will follow. When allergies appear, they are additionally prescribed:

Levomycetin;
Clarithromycin;
Erythromycin;
Sumamed.

Ehrlichiosis

The symptoms are as follows:

fever;
chills;
muscle pain;
joint pain;
nausea;
headache;
fatigue.

After a tick bite, ehrlichiosis diseases appear only after 8-15 days.

Chills and fever occur. As in the case of encephalitis, the victim of the bite confuses the infection with the flu, and valuable time for effective treatment passes.

The treatment is quite simple. The most effective remedy is antibiotics:

Doxycycline;
or tetracycline.

Typhus

It manifests itself as follows:

chills;
headache;
weakness;
temperature for 4-5 days;
seals in the form of a rash with a diameter of up to 1 centimeter at the site of the bite.

Perhaps conditions. An antibiotic is prescribed Tetracycline, dosage according to the instructions. The treatment is carried out for 4-5 days.

With proper and timely treatment, the prognosis is favorable.

Acrodermatitis enteropathic

With acrodermatitis enteropathic, the patient experiences:

severe itching;
minor hemorrhages;
inflammation.

Acrodermatitis is an allergic reaction. The treatment is quite simple, it is necessary to drink a course of antihistamines. For example:

Suprastin
or Tavegil.

A simple bite can have many consequences, from a simple allergic reaction to paralysis of the limbs and sometimes death.

It is important to understand that after a bite you can get sick only if the tick itself has been infected. Most often, bites are safe, but caution and prevention will not be superfluous.

Preventive measures for tick bites

For prophylaxis, especially in areas favorable for infection with encephalitis, borrioliosis, ehrlichiosis or tick-borne typhus, vaccination is the most effective.

There are two vaccination schemes; standard and accelerated:

Standard scheme looks like this: the first dose of the vaccine is given on the appointed day, and the second dose in 5-7 months. There are vaccines with a shorter interval, up to three months. In order to be ready for the tick-borne peak, the first dose is given in the fall.
Accelerated scheme differs from the standard time between doses. The time between injections is reduced from two months to 14 days. It is worth repeating the vaccination in a year, then the period between revaccinations is increased to 3 years.

Your next safety precautions include clothing, walking time, and insect repellent:

Clothes, as mentioned earlier, should be as closed and light as possible in order to immediately draw attention to the presence of a tick.
Ticks do not like the sun and heat, therefore they are activated mainly in the morning and in the evening.
When planning a walk in the woods, it is better not to forget about such insect protection methods as the use of aerosols, for example anti-mite breeze (aerosol), medelis-comfort (spray for children), gardex-extrime (aerosol).
If you plan to go to the forest, you need to take care of your safety and the safety of your family and friends. The head must be covered with a kerchief or hat, the jacket / jacket must be with a blind collar and better with a hood, long trousers. These safety measures will significantly reduce the possibility of tick bites.
After completing the walk, you need to examine things and the head for the absence of ticks.

Particularly close attention should be paid to children, to the cleanliness of their skin, also in closed areas of the body.

If you have the slightest suspicion or if the signs of a bite coincide, you should immediately contact a medical institution.

Only a comprehensive implementation of all requirements and safety measures will help to avoid the negative consequences of tick bites, including very serious ones.

Forecast

The likelihood of a favorable outcome increases sharply, provided that the person found the tick in time and took appropriate measures.

Even if the insect is not sterile, the patient will undergo a course of highly effective treatment, which will most likely prevent the negative consequences of the bite.

What infections can you get from a tick bite?

But to distinguish a tick bite from the bite of any other blood-sucking or stinging arthropod is very simple. The tick never bites quickly and never tries to hide immediately after a skin puncture. Its task is to be nourished with blood, and the food itself usually lasts several days, but not less than 10-15 hours. Therefore, almost always at the site of the bite, the sucked tick itself is found. If it is not there, it means that someone else has bitten.

The photo below shows a typical mark from an ixodid tick bite:

On a note

A tick bite according to ICD-10 is assigned the code W57 - "Bite or sting by non-poisonous insects or other non-poisonous arthropods."

On a note

Ticks do not penetrate directly under the skin or in various body cavities - deep into the nose, into the ears. Accordingly, they do not live here and do not cause corresponding pathologies.

The first symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis

The earliest symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis are nonspecific and do not allow a person to confidently distinguish it from many other infectious diseases.

So, at the end of the incubation period, the following appear:

Typical febrile syndrome with fever, malaise, pain in the muscles and in the head;
Sleep disturbances;
Loss of appetite.

With encephalitis of the European subtype, such a fever can last 2-3 days, and then it passes, and the person believes that these were some kind of mild form of SARS. However, after a week of remission, the second, meningeal or encephalitis phase begins with damage to the membranes of the brain and spinal cord and the development of neurological symptoms, which include:

Inability to turn your neck
Severe throbbing headaches;
Loss of consciousness;
Seizures;
Paralysis;
Skin sensitivity disorders.

These symptoms are accompanied by a fever, usually more severe than in the first phase. Over time, they intensify and, if untreated, often lead to the death of the patient.

Encephalitis of the Far Eastern subtype proceeds without remission and division into phases. At the end of the incubation period, fever develops, often with a sharp jump in temperature up to 38-39 ° C. On the third or fourth day, symptoms of damage to the nervous tissue appear, they grow rapidly, and on days 4-5, if untreated, death occurs.

Encephalitis of the Siberian subtype is clinically similar to the Far Eastern encephalitis, but it can develop somewhat more slowly. With it, recovery occurs more often even in the absence of treatment (sometimes with residual health problems).

Lyme borreliosis symptoms

Symptoms of Lyme borreliosis in most cases are also nonspecific: the disease begins with fever, malaise and muscle pain, which can be mistaken for SARS or signs of food poisoning. Sometimes, at an early stage, this set is supplemented by the stiffness of the neck muscles - a person has to turn the entire upper body to look sideways.

Perhaps the most definitive sign of Lyme disease is erythema annular migrans, a prominent red ring on the skin around the bite site. It develops in 65-80% of patients and sometimes appears earlier than the fever. Its development is very characteristic: redness at the site of the bite gradually expands to neighboring tissues, a large spot is formed, until a ring of normal skin color suddenly appears around the bump itself. The photo shows how it looks:

This ring can grow up to 20-25 cm in diameter, the skin at the site of redness can itch, peel off, and sometimes even die off.

In some people, the same erythema appears on other parts of the body that do not have bites - they are associated with an allergic reaction of the body to the pathogen and its antigens.

Annular erythema remains on the skin for several weeks, sometimes until the end of the disease. Sometimes it may not be seen if it is, for example, on the back, and therefore another person should check the bite site.

A few days after the first symptoms of borreliosis appear, other specific signs may appear:

Conjunctivitis;
Photophobia;
Hepatitis;
Hives.

After about a month, these symptoms are joined by manifestations of meningitis and lesions of internal organs: paresis of the muscles of the face, memory loss, joint pain, chorea. Even later, if treatment was not started, arthritis, bursitis, atrophic acrodermatitis and other syndromes develop.

Moreover, in some cases, the first phases of the disease are asymptomatic, and severe lesions develop unexpectedly. As a result, a person with borreliosis does not see the connection between these symptoms and a tick bite, does not inform the doctor about it, and he cannot make the correct diagnosis.

First actions when signs of illness appear

With the likelihood of developing borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis, it is unacceptable to rely on self-diagnosis, and even more so on treatment at home. For any discomfort after a tick bite (as well as when erythema migrans appears), you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. An initial consultation can be obtained from a therapist, and he will already refer the patient to an infectious disease specialist.

When the first symptoms of the disease appear, all the tests that are carried out in such cases will be indicative. If encephalitis is suspected, the patient may be referred for immunological analysis and complete blood count. So, already on the 3-4th day of illness, acute-phase immunoglobulins of class M (IgM) are found in the blood, confirming the development of TBE.

A general blood test indicates the development of tick-borne encephalitis when leukopenia and thrombocytopenia are detected, the amount of liver enzymes also increases.

The following tests can be done to diagnose borreliosis:

Immunoassay for the content of immunoglobulins of classes M and G in the blood;
Immunoblot - with it, species-specific proteins for Borrelia are detected in the blood. By itself, this analysis is not representative, but when carried out in parallel with an immunological study, it confirms its result;
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an addition to the previous two analyzes. In this case, the cerebrospinal fluid or joint fluid is examined for the presence of bacteria. The sampling procedure consists in puncture (puncture) of the spinal cartilage and fluid intake. The procedure is very painful.

The results of immunoassay, as the most informative study, are deciphered as follows:

Less than 10 U / L IgG and less than 18 U / L IgM - the result is negative. Either there is no infection, or the analysis was submitted too early (even before the onset of the immune response);
10-15 U / L IgG and 18-22 U / L IgM - a dubious result, but infection may develop;
Over 15 U / L IgG and over 22 U / L IgM - the result is positive. Either a disease develops, or these are preserved antibodies after another disease - syphilis, mononucleosis and some others.

The test results should only be interpreted by a doctor. He will also decide on the start of treatment. When encephalitis is detected, the patient is prescribed treatment in a hospital (sometimes it is required to be placed in intensive care), with borreliosis, depending on the stage and condition of the patient, therapy is carried out both at home and in the hospital.

Methods for early diagnosis of tick-borne infections

Given the danger of tick-borne infections, their severe consequences and the complexity of the treatment of tick-borne encephalitis, in some cases it is advisable not to wait for the onset of symptoms of the disease, but to take preventive measures immediately after a tick bite. This is true provided that a tick has bitten a person in a region with a high incidence of tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis.

If an unvaccinated person in a region that is dangerous for encephalitis is bitten by an infected tick, there is a chance that the victim will develop this disease.

It makes no sense to donate blood for analysis before the first symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis appear (or rather, in the first 2 weeks after the bite). There will be so few pathogens, their antigens and specific immunoglobulins that it will not be possible to reliably interpret the result of such an analysis.

On a note
Specific prophylaxis today has been developed only for tick-borne encephalitis. People living in epidemiologically dangerous regions, or leaving here, are made, which with a probability of about 96% will protect against the development of the disease when the pathogen is transmitted from the tick. Today it is the most effective way to prevent TBE.

Emergency prevention of borreliosis is not carried out: in those people who do get sick, this disease is relatively easy to cure. For this reason, even if a person has a tick-borne encephalitis vaccination, their own condition after a tick bite should be carefully monitored - the vaccine does not protect against borreliosis, and therefore, when the disease develops, it is important to recognize it in time.

Prevention of the bites themselves is also important:

Practice shows that even people who are often in nature, subject to these rules, are almost never exposed to tick bites and do not fall ill with the corresponding diseases.

What threatens a tick bite: possible consequences and first aid

Emergency tick bite treatment

Typical bite areas are areas of the skin hidden under clothing:

bending of the elbow region;
limbs;
groin area.

The mechanism of the formation of spots on the skin

The suction zone after a bite is manifested by painful discomfort and the formation of redness with a rounded shape and pronounced boundaries of hyperemia. With normal recovery, these phenomena disappear spontaneously within a few days after the bite. When using antihistamine drugs, redness disappears much faster.

Specific features of the spot

Features of the skin reaction, with the penetration of the causative agent of Lyme pathology, have the following indicators of difference:

Infection with borreliosis (erythema) is characterized by the formation of a spot after a tick bite, which does not appear immediately, but only a week after the incident;
The bite site has characteristic differences, representing the formation of a specific erythema in the form of a spot, which systematically grows in size, reaching a circumference of up to 60 cm in diameter.
The outlines of the spot are round, oval, or it may have irregular and indistinct borders.
After some time, the contours of the spot begin to gradually rise above the surface of the integument, while their shade becomes intensely red.
When the spot after a tick bite stops growing, its central area becomes blue or gradually turns white.
After a day, it becomes in the form of an oval elevation or, and a scar and a cortical layer of tissues form on its integument.
After two weeks, the bite marks completely disappear.

Characteristic signs and atypical outcome of the stain

If the spot after a tick bite does not go away on its own, this may indicate the addition of an infection in the affected area and the development of local inflammation with a complication in the form of a purulent process. In this case, it is necessary to consult with a specialized specialist to exclude the development of aggravating consequences.

Danger of conditions after infection

In the most deplorable case, when an infected insect bite occurs, a person has a very high risk of developing a serious disease. One of them is the tick-borne form of encephalitis. With a fast-paced process, it leads to damage to the nervous network and the development of an inflammatory process affecting the brain tissue. In this case, the consequences may be disability or complete cessation of human activity.

As a complication of a bite, Lyme pathologies, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis are much less common. Borreliosis causes damage to the nervous, cardiac, immune and motor systems of the body, while the pathogen is not always determined by laboratory methods. In the absence of timely therapeutic measures, the lesion process turns into a protracted, sluggish form, provoking the development of irreparable consequences for the body.