Treatment after ticks. Why is a tick bite 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 should be carried out under the supervision of a specialist. All drugs have contraindications. Expert advice is required!
General information
Ticks do not like dampness. Tick bites 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 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 species of insects are quite large compared to other representatives 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 become like a large bean. Males are smaller than females and also absorb very little blood - one hour is enough for them to saturate. Ticks can smell their prey with their "nose" ten meters away, but they do not have vision at all.
From the moment of egg laying to the appearance adult three or even five years pass. Moreover, for all these years, the tick drinks the blood of its victims only a few times.
Tick habitats
Ticks lie in wait for their victims in wet 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 habits
Bloodsucking mites appear in the middle of spring, their population increases very quickly and by May they maximum amount, which persists until the 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 awaits the victim on a blade of grass or a bush, up to 50 centimeters high. Sensing the object of the hunt, the insect stretches its legs forward and moves them, trying to cling. He does this very quickly, the hooks and suction cups that are on the paws help.
It must be remembered once and for all: not a single tick falls on a person or animal from above. Found on the back or head, he simply crawled there from below in search of the most convenient place for suction.
The most "tasty" places are on the neck, head in animals and in the folds of the skin in humans.
It takes about a week for the female to fully saturate. In the choice of food, they are picky: birds, small or large mammals, and humans are suitable.
Possible consequences of a bite
One of the most serious consequences is infection with a disease. Infection occurs during feeding of the insect. As soon as the tick sticks its proboscis into the body of the victim, it releases its saliva. The glands that produce saliva are very large. Saliva is very essential substance, which 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 local immunity.
Viral encephalitis
This is a disease that affects the nervous system. In severe cases, the patient develops paralysis and death occurs.ixodid ticks that inhabit the forests and forest-steppes 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 become infected both by a tick bite and by drinking unboiled milk of cows or goats infected with encephalitis.
A variety of encephalitis, characteristic of the European part, is milder and causes death in only 2% of cases. Whereas a person with this disease in the Far East has a 30% chance of dying from the disease.
The main source of encephalitis are small rodents. They get sick very easily, but they carry the disease almost imperceptibly. They also infect the tick. 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 transmitted simultaneously. Most viruses are contained in the first thick portion of saliva, acting like cement.
The encephalitis virus can carry a tick of either sex.
Symptoms
The symptoms of this disease are varied. They appear a week or two after a tick bite:
- weakness of arms and legs
- violation of the sensitivity of the skin of the upper body,
- increase in temperature to 39 - 40 degrees,
- general deterioration in well-being,
- 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 are spirochetes, which spread in nature, including ticks. The disease proceeds in a chronic form, affects almost all organs and systems. You can get infected with tick-borne borreliosis on almost any continent. In Russia, the Tyumen, Kaliningrad, Perm, Yaroslavl, Leningrad, Tver and Kostroma regions are considered unfavorable for this disease, Far East, Western Siberia, Ural.
A person infected with tick-borne borreliosis is not a source of danger to others.
Infection is carried out through the saliva of the tick. The causative agent very quickly penetrates into almost all organs and tissues with a blood stream. After that, Borrelia can stay in the body for decades.
Symptoms
Symptoms 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 to 10 or even more centimeters. Most often, the spot is a regular round or ellipsoidal shape. Along the edge, the spot is bounded by a ridge protruding above the level of the body. Gradually, the middle of the spot loses its color intensity and becomes bluish, covered with a crust and a 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 spot. It is necessary to treat this disease in a hospital, because if the pathogen is not destroyed, a chronic form develops, resulting in disability.
relapsing tick fever
These are acute infections caused by various representatives of spirochetes. You can get infected with them 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 pass them on to their offspring. Infection occurs during a tick bite.
Symptoms
A bubble appears at the site of infection. Once in the body, the pathogen actively multiplies and penetrates into the blood. The victim suddenly begins to shiver, his head hurts, he is very hot, he is lethargic, aching limbs, the temperature rises to 39-40 degrees, he feels sick. At this stage, the bubble acquires a dark red color. The patient's body is covered with a rash, his liver and spleen are enlarged, yellowing of the sclera and skin can 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 normalizes or almost normalizes. The patient's condition is improving. But after a few days, the second attack begins, no different from the first. Attacks can be from four to twelve. Subsequent attacks are usually milder than the first.
The disease is diagnosed with a blood test. Treatment is inpatient. If a person was healthy and not emaciated before infection, then he has a great chance of fully recovering.
Q fever
It is one of the most common zoonotic ( sources are wild animals) rickettsiosis worldwide. The causative agent of Q fever can exist for a long time in environment, it is difficult to destroy it by means of disinfection, boiling ( at least 10 minutes).
Q fever can be carried by both domestic and wild animals. Ticks are one of the carriers of pathogens, and they pass them on 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, digestive, dermis. A cured person has practically no chance of getting 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:
- aches all over the body,
- headache,
- unproductive cough,
- increased work of sweat glands,
- aversion to food
- insomnia,
- redness of the face,
- an increase in body temperature up to 38 - 40 degrees.
To make a diagnosis, blood tests are taken, the patient is examined. Q-fever is treated only in the hospital. The disease responds well to medical treatment.
Hemorrhagic fevers
There are several varieties 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 in the internal organs. Incubation period is 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 compress the body of the insect - no matter how it is removed. It is also important not to tear off the head of the tick, because the proboscis remaining in the body can provoke purulent process. If the head comes off when removing the tick, it may still contain pathogens that penetrate the human body.
If, after removing the tick, a small black dot remains at the suction site, 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 with a disinfected needle. After removing the head, 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 will suffocate and remain in the wound, or it will get scared and begin to secrete more saliva and, along with it, pathogens.
Pincer twisters
Devices for removing ticks are preferable to tweezers in that the body of the insect does not shrink at all and no more secret is squeezed into the wound. Thus, the chance of infection is reduced.Such devices are produced by foreign companies, but they can be bought through online stores in any country. The use of the device is very simple and it is based on the principle of twisting. But such a device does not at all squeeze the body of an insect, unlike tweezers.
insect in ear
This is a very unpleasant phenomenon that can result in a bite. To remove an insect from the ear, you need to lay the victim, turn his head on his side and pour a small amount of slightly heated water into the ear where the insect is located. Lie down 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, medical assistance is no longer enough.After the bite
If the bite occurred in epidemiologically disadvantaged areas, only pulling out the tick will not do. 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 in the hospital. In order for the analysis to succeed, the insect must be delivered to the laboratory alive.
There is also a technique that allows you to detect diseases by part of the body of an insect. 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 examined just in case, in order to avoid surprises.
You should definitely go to 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, it shivered, the head hurt, it was hard 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 the 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 blood of the victim. It is completely useless to take a blood test immediately after a 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 analysis allows you to 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 are found in the blood only 14 days after the bite, and to Borrelia only after 4 weeks.
Immunoglobulin and other emergency aid after a bite
If the territories 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 necessary drugs are administered 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 for infection with tick-borne borreliosis and other diseases carried by ticks.
Immunoglobulin
Today it is considered an obsolete drug and in developed countries no longer in use. Its disadvantages include high cost, as well as by-effect in the form of an allergy.
Immunoglobulin is produced from the serum of donor blood. The drug is produced only from the blood of people who already have antibodies to the tick-borne encephalitis virus.
It is used both for the prevention and for the 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 using, 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 on prescription. It is injected intramuscularly, the dosage is selected taking into account the body weight of the victim.
Antivirals
Most commonly used iodantipyrine for patients over 14 years old and anaferon for babies. In the event that none of these drugs is available, you can use any antiviral agent sold in a pharmacy ( arbidol, cycloferon, rimantadine).
Yodantipyrine is an antiviral agent that stimulates the immune system, relieves inflammation. Under the influence 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 both for the treatment and for the prevention of diseases. The drug is forbidden to use with hyperthyroidism.
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 complete removal of the insect. But if you drink antihistamines, redness should pass faster. Redness with borreliosis ( erythema) appears 5 to 7 days after the bite.
Graft
Vaccination is effective method preventing infection. A very indicative example is Austria, which ranked first on the mainland in terms of the number of cases of tick-borne encephalitis. But when 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 vaccine is 95%.The vaccine contains a dead 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 be vaccinated in advance - even in winter.
Who should be vaccinated?
- people who inhabit areas unfavorable for tick-borne encephalitis,
- people who are going on a trip to regions that are unfavorable for this disease.
Vaccination should be done after the end of the season of insect activity, that is, from the end of autumn. Vaccination schedules for different vaccines vary 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, it is possible to vaccinate warm time years, however, it should be borne in mind that immunity will appear three to four weeks after the first vaccination. This time it is desirable to avoid contact with insects.
To maintain immunity, revaccination should be carried out once every three years ( one dose of vaccine). If more than 5 years have passed since the next vaccination, it is necessary to carry out a double vaccination again.
Bite insurance
Tick bite 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 taken to a special medical institution engaged in seroprophylaxis.
2. The tick will be removed.
3. Within two to three days after the bite, the victim will receive a prophylactic course of immunoglobulin.
Depending on the insurance company, all other services may vary. For example, the most a budget option insurance covers only one immunization. When paying 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, or it can be family ( one insurance policy is issued immediately for all households).
When applying for insurance, you need to ask the agent about all the details as much as possible. After that, you need to carefully read the contract - 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 will be used by the insurance company for medical care. Sometimes the insurer claims to provide full medical care and recovery, but very little money is included in the contract. In this case, it is almost impossible to get everything you need. To calculate the required amount of money, you should find out the prices for immunization and all necessary medical procedures.
2.
What services are included. What exactly is the insurance company going to provide? Only one immunization can be specified in the policy. In this case, it is useless to expect more, even if the insurance amount is large enough. The question arises: why do you need so much money? This question is most relevant when buying an insurance policy for the whole family.
3.
To insurance contract there should be an appendix: a list of all medical institutions where you can get help with insurance. It is convenient if they are quite close. There are such Insurance companies that provide services throughout your state. After all, if you seek medical help in an institution with which there is no contract, you will need to pay for all medical services received.
Most policies state that immunoglobulin is administered no more than once every 4 weeks. This is dictated by medical indications: to administer this drug more often is not only useless, but even harmful. For a month, the medicine acts like a kind of inoculation.
How to save yourself?
First of all, going to the habitat of ticks, you need to dress properly. Clothing 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 does not allow the insect to crawl into secluded places. Long socks or stockings are required, and the legs should be tucked into boots or chosen with cuffs.
It is desirable that the collar be buttoned tightly enough.
Another effective remedy for ticks is repellents . They are sold in many stores and pharmacies.
Repellent should be applied to those places where the tick gets in the first place - trousers, shoes and legs to the thigh. Tick repellents are quite toxic, so it is advisable to avoid contact with them. open areas body.
And the third remedy is vigilance. Periodically, you should examine each other for preventive purposes.
What should I do if bitten by a tick
Before use, you should consult with a specialist.
Thus, many ticks can wait for weeks for a suitable prey, and not in all cases the hunt ends successfully for them. After the tick is on the human body, it needs to find the most suitable place to bite. A tick for a long time can choose a place that will be optimal for making a bite. Favorite places for tick bites are:
- small of the back;
- stomach;
- groin area;
- armpits
- breast;
- ear area.
Typical manifestations of infection
- weakness;
- chills;
- drowsiness;
- fast fatiguability;
- photophobia;
- aches in the joints;
- skin rash;
- increase in 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 needs to urgently consult a doctor and conduct tests, since the appearance of such symptoms may indicate the development of a particular disease caused by the spread of pathogenic microorganisms through the saliva of the tick .
Diseases transmitted by pests
- Lyme disease;
- tick-borne typhus;
- tick-borne encephalitis;
- Crimean hemorrhagic fever;
- erlichiosis.
The most common disease that develops after a tick bite is tick-borne encephalitis. Tick-borne encephalitis develops when a virus enters the human bloodstream along with tick saliva, which primarily affects the nervous system. As a rule, after a 2-week incubation period, signs of general intoxication, headaches, and sometimes motor activity disorders, delirium and other conditions appear, indicating damage to the brain and spinal cord. There are several forms of this disease. When infected with some strains of the virus, the tick-borne course can be so severe that even with the right drug treatment it is far from always possible to save a person's life, and in addition, often even after therapy and 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 is also manifested by quite 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 because in some cases it can become chronic and occur with severe relapses, and autoimmune processes triggered by this disease often affect the tissues of the heart, joints, skin and other organs.
First aid to the victim
Blood-sucking mites 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 arachnid order, measuring up to three millimeters (standard sizes are 0.1-0.5 mm). By way of getting vital energy small creatures are divided into saprophages that feed on organic residues (for example, dust, barn, scabies, spider mites and linen mites) and blood-sucking predators.
A tick bite can be fatal to humans. The 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 prey with the help of a special organ - the hypostome, located under the predator's oral apparatus (hypostoma: hypo - under, stoma - mouth). Most often, the bite occurs on delicate and thin skin, under which there are many capillary vessels.
- The most favorite areas are the area of the 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 bite symptoms, photo
Tick bite photo and symptoms in humans
The detection of a sucked tick on the skin is reliable and the first sign of a bite. It looks like a convex mole small sizes. The patient's well-being can deteriorate sharply, in connection with which there are complaints of drowsiness, photophobia, headache and lethargy.
When a tick bite occurs, the symptoms in a person are not always pronounced, so the patient may simply not attach importance to negative changes. It should also be borne in mind that the degree of deterioration in well-being 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 heartbeats increases, and blood pressure decreases.
Sometimes the signs of a tick bite are manifested in the form of allergic reactions, expressed as a skin rash and irritation. On palpation of the lymph nodes, their increase is noted (especially those that are closest to the bite site).
- The bites of linen mites 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 decreases, 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 taken into account that such concomitant factors as pregnancy, alcohol, drug use, 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 changes.
Table. Disability after a tick.
| Health group | a brief description of |
| 1 group | Severe disorders of the nervous and musculoskeletal system, cortical epilepsy (frequent clonic or clonic-tonic muscle cramps in a certain muscle group), cerebral motor disorders, acquired dementia, failure of elementary self-service. |
| 2 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. |
| 3 group | Unexpressed decrease in muscle strength, labor ability and mental analysis, weak attacks of epilepsy. |
Signs of diseases transmitted by ticks
characteristic "red bagels"
The most characteristic external sign that you should pay attention to is the appearance of a specific circular erythema observed with. A red spot forms in the center, surrounded by a red ring after a few centimeters.
In appearance, it resembles a donut (the symptom appears the very next day), then a crust and a scar form 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 (hidden course of the disease without external signs) after the bite has occurred encephalitis tick up to three weeks. The disease begins acutely, with persistent fever, severe headache and muscle pain. Encephalitis after a tick bite can occur in 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, and liver. The lesion can occur in a latent, acute or chronic form, with progression or self-elimination.
Characteristic erythema is the main sign by which the acute degree of the disease is determined. The size of the rings in diameter is about 10-15 cm. A month after the bite, negative changes in the heart appear, nervous tissue and joints. Severe complications can lead to death. |
| Ehrlichiosis (causative agent - E. Chaffeensis or E. Phagocytophila) | Mortality occurs in approximately 5% of cases. The incubation period lasts 1-2 weeks. Initially, the victim feels chills, muscle pain, then the body temperature rises (37-38 degrees). If we consider general analysis blood, you can see thrombocytopenia and leukopenia. Complications are rare, with severe forms. As a rule, the consequences are renal failure and neurological disorders. |
| Tick spotted fevers (pathogen 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 elevated temperature lasts from two to fifteen days. Head and muscle pains, sleep disturbance, reddening of the face and neck are also noted, on the third or fourth day - the appearance of a profuse rash. As a rule, the disease is reversible, 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 sticking, they can search for a long time (about three hours) for a favorite site. If a black predator is found on the body, which has not yet stuck into the skin, then it should be shaken off by hand.
- Contact a specialist for safe extraction;
- Take care of the examination of the tick by the sanitary service for sterility (its contagiousness and the possibility of being a carrier of dangerous diseases are being studied);
- Treat the bite site with a disinfectant medical agent: brilliant green, iodine or alcohol.
It should be remembered that the tick is studied only in a living state. In this regard, it is not recommended to extract it yourself using improvised means, since the predator may die due to incorrect actions.
Killing a tick is not yet worth it because, when aware of the danger, it can secrete abundant saliva and, if it was infected, then a huge amount of infectious agents will enter the body of the victim.
In addition, when a large amount of secretion enters the bloodstream, there is a risk of a serious allergic reaction in the form of Quincke's edema, leading to respiratory failure up to a stop.
First aid for tick bites when aggravating allergic symptoms appeared:
- Give the patient antihistamines (Diphenhydramine, Suprastin);
- Recommended hormonal agents for temporary inhibition of immune defense (Prednisolone, Dexazon);
- Apply a tourniquet above the bite to prevent the spread of the allergen;
- Provide a flow fresh air: open the window, unbutton the top buttons on the collar, remove the scarf.
If the analysis of the tick showed its infection, then the victim should undergo mandatory 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's body temperature has risen, then antipyretics 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 of 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 carried out at the age of 12 months. The drug protection period is one year. After that, it is recommended to revaccinate (in a year), the effect of which is 36 months. There is also such a thing as "emergency vaccination". It is carried out immediately before leaving for nature or a tourist trip. Its duration 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 with symptoms of a cold or SARS, temperature, allergic reactions. Before it is carried out, a medical examination is necessary!
It is important not to self-medicate when bitten by a tick. Remember that your own life is at stake. An appeal to a specialist (infectionist) is recommended for diagnosis and obtaining a subsequent treatment regimen. You must completely trust your doctor and follow his recommendations.
The bite of a tick, a small creature that cannot fly, lives only in grass or low bushes, can cause a lot of health troubles to a person, up to disability, or death. What can be the symptoms of a tick bite in humans and the consequences of this incident, we will understand 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. Rather 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 imperceptible, painless. Symptoms of an encephalitic tick bite in humans appear later.
How is the bite of an uninfected individual manifested?
Statistics show that in the vast majority of cases, arachnids are not infected with infectious diseases and their bite, provided that the tick is noticed on the skin in time and correctly removed, will not have any unpleasant consequences, except for external visible manifestations at the site of suction.
Local symptoms of a bite of an uninfected tick in humans (photo below) are not dangerous in any way and manifest themselves as:
There may be some more common signs of an uninfected tick bite in humans, the most common of which are the following symptoms:
- headaches;
- aches in the joints;
- fear of light;
- general weakness and drowsiness;
- skin itching;
- tachycardia;
- lowering blood pressure;
- enlargement of some lymph nodes;
- sometimes completely atypical manifestations may occur: nausea, vomiting, nervous disorders.
External signs
We will analyze what symptoms after the bite of an infected tick appear in humans. It is worth noting that an outwardly infected individual of an arachnid is no different from a non-sick one. The bite site on a person's skin may not have any special signs, sometimes if the tick is infected with Lyme disease (borraliasis), they can:
After the incubation period
Other scenarios are also possible. A self-collected tick can be placed in a sealed 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 yourself, without waiting for a possible infection to gain momentum. Diseases carried by ticks are diagnosed in the laboratory at an early stage.
The most common disease that ticks carry is spring-summer tick-borne meningoencephalitis. Symptoms of an encephalitic tick bite in humans appear after an incubation period (1-2 weeks). This dangerous viral disease leads to extremely serious neurological consequences, lethal outcome.
It is worth noting that out of a hundred ticks, only 6 individuals are carriers of the virus. About 2-6% of those bitten can get sick from them.
Symptoms after a bite of an encephalitic tick in humans correspond to the phases of the course of the disease: the first stage, remission and the second stage.
|
Phases |
Manifestations |
| First | The duration of manifestations is usually 2-4 days. The following symptoms may appear:
Laboratory blood tests may reveal leukopenia and/or thrombocytopenia. |
| Remission | This period lasts 8 days. It is characterized by the disappearance of symptoms complete and rather abrupt. |
| Second | It develops in 20-30% of those infected. It can go in two directions, or both groups of symptoms may appear.
|
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 cerebral vessels;
- polio;
- encephalitis of other pathogenesis;
- flu;
- borreliosis.
The only effective method of therapy here is the early administration of an injection of immunoglobulin. In other cases, the developing disease leads to death (within a week after the development of the neurological clinic of the disease). Especially often, this development is received by the Far Eastern subtype of tick-borne encephalitis.
Very effective prevention of encephalitis. This is vaccination with a special preparation according to certain schemes for different cases (local residents of endemic areas, visiting tourists, etc.).
Non-specific methods of prevention must be observed in order to avoid disastrous consequences:
- barrier protection (clothes covering all parts of the body);
- chemical protection (repellents);
- a thorough examination after a walk in the forest;
- timely removal of the attached individual;
- immediately contact a doctor for examination.
Clinic Borreliosa
Lyme disease is carried by a special type of arachnid - ixodid ticks. They live mainly in the forests of the northern hemisphere. Although, Borrelia carry migratory birds over long distances. An infected tick has borrelia in its body for life and passes it on to offspring.
These microorganisms are contained in the stomach of arachnids and extremely rarely in saliva, so 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 with a host of different symptoms. Often, those who have been attacked by arachnids ask themselves 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 a month later. 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 the group of clinical manifestations:
|
stages |
Manifestations |
| I. | The first stage can take place both with a very violent manifestation of symptoms, and with a smooth course. Most often noted:
There may be a rash on the face, conjunctivitis (not often). If the infection reaches the meninges, the following symptoms may appear:
In some cases, a clinic of the so-called "anicteric" hepatitis may occur:
In some infected, only skin signs of the disease may appear, 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 this 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, extremely high fatigue and fatigue. Disturbed innervation of the face. Some cardiac disorders may occur:
Cases of benign lymphocytoma of the skin of the face have been recorded. |
| III. | This period can form only in 10% of patients not earlier than six months or 2 years from the onset of infection.
This can lead to very seriousconsequences of a tick bite in humans, symptoms may be as follows:
|
| chronic stage | If left untreated, the disease becomes chronic. This period is characterized by alternating 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). Meanwhile, the virus progresses in the human body, showing itself only when the disease has gone far.
However, the prognosis of this disease is not always difficult. Quite often, the disease fades at the first stage of development. Much depends on the strength of the immune system. If the disease has moved to the second and then to the third stage, not everything is so rosy here. Requires long-term observation and treatment in a hospital.
Preventive measures are only 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, 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;
- Rickettsiosis smallpox;
- Q fever/tsutsugamushi fever;
- Babesiosis.
The clinical picture in the early stages of infection of any of these infections will be similar. It is important that you consult a doctor if any warning signs appear. Manifestations begin after a few days. If the detected bloodsucker is taken to the laboratory for analysis after removal, then its analysis will help determine a possible infection and take immediate action.
Most often, the bite passes without systemic consequences, since the overwhelming majority of ticks are sterile, but in case of infection, such consequences can occur as:
- prolonged illness and treatment;
- disability I, II, III groups;
- death.
The influence of the infection can be aggravated by addiction to alcohol, pregnancy, weak immunity, fatigue and stress.
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, rickettsiae) and species composition of pathogenic microorganisms.
What diseases do ticks carry?
The most relevant among 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). Ticks also carry: relapsing tick fever, tularemia, babesiosis, spotted fever.
Diseases transmitted by ticks are characterized by a different course of pathological processes in the human body.
Lyme disease or borreliosis
Can be transmitted by three types of bacteria of the genus Borrelia. It is the most common tick-borne infection in the Northern Hemisphere. In many cases, the pathology is stopped with antibiotics if the diagnosis was made on time and the 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 get 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. May lead to persistent neurological and psychiatric complications.
erlichiosis
Among diseases transmitted by ticks, monocytic ehrlichiosis is a relatively young infection. The pathology was first identified in 1987 in the USA. Pathogens (erlichia) enter the body with the saliva of the tick and, multiplying, lead to inflammatory processes of a different nature during internal organs. Clinical manifestations have a wide range: from an asymptomatic form 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, deaths occur as an exception.
Tularemia
Clinical manifestations depend on the form of the disease. characteristic feature there 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 babesia, which, after being bitten, penetrate human red blood cells, where they multiply, destroying red cells. The disease develops against the background of reduced immunity. With its course, anemia increases, symptoms of acute renal and hepatic insufficiency are observed. In people with a normal immune status, babesiosis is asymptomatic.
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 an infected arthropod breaks and combing this area. It affects blood vessels, causes such serious complications as strokes, kidney failure. In all cases, the prognosis is quite serious.
Symptoms of diseases transmitted by ticks
The development of symptoms depends on the pathogen that can get into human body along with the saliva of the tick after a bite. Since ticks carry a lot of diseases, the manifestations of the infection are varied.
Characteristic symptoms of the most common tick-borne diseases
| Disease | Main symptoms |
| Fever, headache, fatigue, neck stiffness, nausea, vomiting. A characteristic symptom is a specific skin rash, a spreading annular redness - erythema migrans. | |
| Tick-borne encephalitis | Sudden increase in body temperature up to 38-39 ° C, headache, stiff neck muscles, repeated vomiting. The development of general weakness, pain in the muscles of the back, neck, arms. There may be a dullness of consciousness. There is a meningeal syndrome, which is joined by atrophic paralysis. |
| erlichiosis | Acute onset with high fever and trembling. 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, appetite disappears. By the time the temperature rises, a dark cherry papule forms on the skin, and various shapes rashes. Sometimes jaundice develops, moderate pains in the joints, calf muscles are observed. |
