Infectious disease specialist - about death and disability from a tick bite How are post-Lyme and post-Covid similar and why doctors argue so much about these diseases

How long does it take for symptoms of a tick bite to appear in humans: consequences of the bite and prevention of infection

Not many people know what a tick bite looks like; the symptoms in humans are quite specific. Ticks are not insects. They belong to the arachnids.

The danger to humans is that ticks can carry pathogens of various diseases, for example, the tick-borne encephalitis virus. A person can encounter ticks everywhere (at the dacha, in the garden, in a park in the city, in the forest). Diseases transmitted by these organisms are called transmissible. Most often, arachnids bite humans in the spring and summer seasons. At this time their activity is highest.

What does a tick bite look like and what symptoms may appear when a person is infected with vector-borne diseases?

Where and when are you most likely to get bitten?

People living in disease-endemic areas, as well as those who visit these areas during periods of particular tick activity - from May to mid-June and from late August to late September - are most at risk of contracting a serious illness from a tick bite.

But the danger of being attacked by ticks remains throughout the warm period of the year when visiting almost any forested areas, parks and other areas where there is grass and shady shelters. You can even get a tick bite in your dacha or in the local area of ​​your private home, if the grass there is not mowed.

The maximum number of bites from infected ticks is recorded annually in Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region. However, a considerable number of those bitten annually seek medical help in almost all regions of Russia, including Crimea and the Caucasus.

How to remove a tick

The tick is pulled out using tweezers or thread. Pharmacies sell special forceps for their removal. It is advisable to purchase them before the start of the summer season.

A few deletion rules:

1. Do not pull on the body. The tweezers are placed on the head.
2. You should pull it out in a clockwise circular motion.
3. You can't jerk sharply. You need to gently twist the insect.
4. It is important to try not to squeeze the parasite too much. This will lead to a defensive reaction and the release of dangerous substances into the human blood.

Under no circumstances should you use alcohol, oil, glue or other compounds to suffocate the tick.

What does a tick bite look like on a person?

A tick bite on a person (see photo) can often manifest itself in different ways. What does a tick bite look like in its usual manifestation? The most harmless manifestation is a slight redness around the place where the arthropod was found or a complete absence of marks on the skin, except for a small hole in the place where the proboscis was located.

The bite site may become slightly inflamed. An allergic reaction may also occur, provoked by saliva and existing microtrauma of the skin. A tick bite in a person can also lead to more dangerous skin reactions.

It is quite easy to recognize the location of a tick bite in a person infected with borreliosis. The area around the bite resembles erythema. The spot can increase in diameter to an average of 15-20 cm. Sometimes the red spot can reach 60 cm, covering not only the bite site, but also a significant part of the body. The spot in this case can have any shape. A characteristic sign of a tick bite that has suffered from borreliosis is the appearance of a distinct bloody border around the spot on the skin. In this case, the entire central part of the spot acquires a whitish or unhealthy, bluish color.

In addition to an allergic reaction, parasites can infect humans with dangerous illnesses. In most cases, the consequences of a tick bite are unpredictable. Not all parasites are carriers of dangerous pathologies. The sooner the bloodsucker is removed, the lower the risk of infection with various pathologies.

Place of tick bite: appearance, sensations

A tick bite is necessarily accompanied by the introduction of a parasite into the skin. In the first hours, the source of inflammation looks like a uniform red spot up to a centimeter in diameter, in the center of which there is a dark formation (the abdomen and legs of the arachnid protruding from the outside).

A tick bite goes unnoticed for a long time due to the small size of the parasite, especially in the absence of noticeable inflammation.

The size of the tick's abdomen, not exceeding 2–4 mm, looks negligibly small in relation to any part of the human body. It
is impossible to feel the moment of penetration of the arachnid, since it anesthetizes the bite site with saliva, with the help of which it is fixed in the wound.

There is swelling and redness of the skin around the site of parasite penetration.

A tick bite is detected by a thorough examination of the body. Even if the parasite falls off on its own after some time, a characteristic mark remains on the skin.

If after a walk a similar lesion appears on any part of the body, it is possible that you have become a victim of a tick

The favorite places for suction of these representatives of arachnids on the human body are the ears and the area behind them, neck, chest, abdomen, axillary and groin areas. These parts of the body are attractive because it is easy for the parasite to remain unnoticed and easily feed on blood. Also, these areas have delicate skin, making it easier to penetrate into the capillary bed.

Signs of an allergic reaction to a tick bite

An allergy occurs in response to tick saliva entering the wound. The individual reaction of the body depends on the state of health as a whole. The consequences of tick bites are more severe in allergy sufferers, children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. A mild allergic reaction can be relieved with antihistamines.

Common signs of allergies:

• nausea;
• dizziness,
• weakness;
• drowsiness;
• aching joints;
• headache;
• temperature increase;
• itching and rash in the bite area and other parts of the body.

With a strong individual allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock may occur, which is preceded by:

• difficulty breathing;
• hallucinations;
• Quincke's edema (rapid and massive swelling of the face, throat or limbs);
• loss of consciousness.

Anaphylactic shock can be relieved by administering prednisolone and adrenaline. If symptoms after a tick bite indicate a severe allergic reaction, an urgent call to the ambulance is necessary, otherwise death is possible.

What not to do

Ticks can carry dangerous diseases. For this reason, it must be handled as carefully as possible, especially if it is still in the patient's body. However, many victims violate this requirement, which is why they face unpleasant consequences.

To avoid complications, you need to avoid the following mistakes:

1. Touching the parasite with bare hands. Juices that are dangerous to humans, containing the microorganism Borrelia, encephalitis virus, Lyme, and other diseases, can be released from the blood-sucking body. At the same time, up to 6 infections can lie dormant in the body of an insect. If you remove the parasite yourself, then only with tweezers, wearing gloves or using an impenetrable plastic bag.
2. Simple tick pulling. It seems that removing the parasite is very easy: just grab its body and pull it out. In fact, the arthropod is firmly anchored in the patient’s epidermis due to its oral apparatus. When a rough extraction is attempted, the insect's head remains under the skin. It can not only cause inflammation, but also leads to infection with dangerous viruses (the longer the contact, the higher the probability).
3. Pulling out the tick counterclockwise. The tick inserts its proboscis counterclockwise. The principle of pulling out is similar to how a screw is removed. It is necessary to spin the parasite in the opposite direction, that is, strictly clockwise.
4. Throwing away the tick after pulling it out. It is advisable to send the parasite to the laboratory. There it will be checked for bacteria and viruses, which can save the life and health of the patient. In addition, the body of the parasite can cause further spread of the disease if it is eaten by a bird or pet. If the laboratory is too far away (more than 2 days, after this time it will no longer be possible to conduct an analysis), it is necessary to burn the blood-sucking animal.
5. Lubricating the parasite with oil, alcohol, glue. There is an opinion that if you make it difficult for a tick to breathe, it will relax its mouthparts and crawl out on its own. In fact, the arthropod will react aggressively. It will release an additional portion of poison into the blood, and with it dangerous microorganisms, pathogenic viruses. The likelihood of infection will increase significantly.
6. Ignoring the need to see a doctor. A visit to the clinic after a bite is mandatory. If the patient becomes infected and does not turn to professionals, there is a high probability of death.

Consequences of a tick bite for humans

In the worst situation, a tick can infect a person with the following infections:

1. Hemorrhagic fever. It is an infectious disease caused by a virus. Signs of infection include: intoxication of the body, the onset of fever, subcutaneous hemorrhages, changes in the composition of the patient’s blood. Experts distinguish between Crimean and Omsk fever. If you consult a doctor in a timely manner, the prognosis is favorable. Treatment consists of taking antiviral medications, vitamins that strengthen blood vessels;
2. Tick-borne encephalitis . It is a viral disease, the main symptoms include: hyperthermia, intoxication, damage to the human central nervous system (meningitis, encephalitis). The consequences of the course of the disease include: neurological pathologies that lead to personality changes, in some cases to disability, even death. The first signs of the disease are observed in the first seven days; prevention should be carried out for several days after the bite;
3. Borreliosis or Lyme disease . It is an infectious disease of a bacterial nature. General intoxication of the body is accompanied by a sharp increase in temperature, headache, constantly migrating rash, and fatigue. Bacteria are capable of infecting human organs and systems (especially the nervous and musculoskeletal, cardiovascular). Delayed assistance leads to disability.

Considering the danger of a tick bite for a person, be sure to pay attention to such a nuisance and, if necessary, visit a doctor.

Danger of ticks

It should be noted that, despite popular opinion, ticks do not know how to jump, climb to the tops of trees and fall from above. On the contrary, they are located in low-growing bushes and grass, so danger lurks at people’s very feet, so to speak.

These blood-sucking parasites carry a dozen diseases that can infect humans. Here are some of them:

• tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease);
• tick-borne typhus;
• tick-borne encephalitis;
• tularemia;
• ehrlichiosis.

The most common diseases in the Russian Federation are tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. These diseases are very dangerous - they often lead to serious complications and deaths.

It is not possible to determine whether a tick is contagious by its appearance. Only laboratory methods in a special infectious diseases hospital can confirm or refute the presence of a particular disease.

Table of distribution of the main diseases transmitted by ticks:

⠀

The table shows the main regions where ticks are distributed, but “parasites” are also found in other areas of the country, albeit in small numbers. Thus, in 2015, the territory of Moscow and the Moscow region accounted for 56% of the incidence of tick-borne borreliosis of its total number registered in Russia.

Tick-borne encephalitis

Spread of tick-borne encephalitis. Author – RicHard-59. Source – https://commons.wikimedia.org/.

Tick-borne encephalitis is a dangerous viral infection that is accompanied by a fever and disruption of the central nervous system. The first symptoms do not appear immediately: the incubation period can be 10-14 days.

Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis:

• increased body temperature;
• headache;
• redness of the skin of the face and neck;
• chills;
• muscle pain;
• photophobia.

Due to the spread of the virus in the spinal cord and brain, neurological disorders appear: delusions, hallucinations, cardiac and respiratory disorders. In the severe stage of the disease, meningitis occurs - this is an acute inflammatory disease of the membranes of the brain and spinal cord, which often leads to disability and death.

Encephalitis is treated in a hospital under the strict supervision of doctors: immunoglobulins, anti-inflammatory drugs, anticonvulsants and others are used.

It is important to note that the transmissible route of transmission of the tick-borne encephalitis virus is through tick bites, but there are cases of infection through the nutritional route. For example, through the milk of a cow that was previously bitten by an infected parasite.

Tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease)

Rash on a child's face, Lyme disease. Author: Guswen. Source – https://commons.wikimedia.org/.

Tick-borne borreliosis is an infectious disease that begins like a common cold, but is essentially much more dangerous, as it damages the skin, cardiovascular system, and large joints. The incubation period ranges from several days to a month. Initially, a skin rash called erythema migrans appears.

Symptoms:

• rash on the body;
• headache;
• high body temperature;
• feeling of stiffness of movement, joint pain;
• enlarged lymph nodes;
• disturbances of attention, sleep, vision (at a late stage).

Treatment takes place in a hospital and includes antibiotic therapy and the use of symptomatic medications. This disease can become chronic and bother a child or adult six months or a year after the tick bite.

The first symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease can easily be confused with a cold, so it is important to immediately seek help from a medical facility.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, in 2022, 542,512 people came to Russian hospitals with complaints of a tick bite, of which 129,030 were children under 17 years of age. This figure is up 23.9% compared to the same period last year .

Signs of the development of tick-borne encephalitis

The incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis can last from 4 to 14 days. During this period, the infected person does not experience any external health problems. Then the temperature rises sharply to 38-39 °C, the patient has a fever, loss of appetite, pain in the muscles and eyes, nausea or vomiting, and severe headache.

Then remission occurs, during which the patient feels some relief. This is the second phase of the disease, during which the nervous system is affected. Subsequently, meningitis, encephalitis, and paralysis may develop. If left untreated, death is likely.

The problem is that the signs of the disease in the initial stage are often confused with the flu and acute respiratory infections, so they do not consult a doctor, but self-medicate. If a high temperature appears after a detected or suspected tick bite, you should not waste time - a blood test and treatment in a hospital are necessary.

First alarming symptoms

Symptoms of Lyme disease.

As mentioned earlier, the first symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease do not appear immediately: on average, 2 weeks after the bite. You should immediately contact your pediatrician if your child has:

• fever, increased body temperature;
• weakness, lethargy, drowsiness;
• headache;
• loss of appetite;
• nausea, vomiting;
• red rash on the body;
• disorders of consciousness;
• paresis of the limbs (decreased muscle strength).

The tick-borne encephalitis virus first enters the child’s blood through a bite, then it spreads throughout the body through the bloodstream: first to the lymph nodes, internal organs, then to the brain and spinal cord. When the amount of virus in the blood increases (viruses divide multiple times and increase in number), the first symptoms appear.

As for Lyme disease , the first symptom is a rash on the body (redness of various diameters - from 0-60 cm). There may be no other symptoms at first. Parents, when they see such red spots, turn to allergists or dermatologists, assuming that this is an allergic reaction or dermatitis. But if two weeks ago (or even a month ago) there was a tick bite, we can assume that the child is developing tick-borne borreliosis.

Tick ​​bites are dangerous, so at the first such symptoms you need to consult a doctor: the hospital will conduct a blood test, identify the cause of the child’s poor health and prescribe therapy. You should not put off visiting the pediatrician and treat the symptoms like a common cold, as improper treatment will aggravate the situation and time will be lost.

Symptoms of borreliosis

If a tick carrier of borreliosis is bitten, the bite site takes on the appearance of specific erythema, which gradually increases to 10-20 cm, and sometimes up to 60 cm in diameter. The erythema patch may be round, oval, or irregular in shape. The victim may experience burning, itching and pain at the site of the bite, but more often the first signs are limited to erythema alone.

After some time, a border of rich red color forms along the contour of the spot, while the border itself looks slightly swollen. In the center, the erythema becomes pale white or bluish. After a few days, a crust and scar forms in the area of ​​the bite, which disappear without a trace after about 2 weeks.

The incubation period before the first symptoms appear ranges from several days to 2 weeks. Then comes the first stage of the disease, which lasts from 3 to 30 days. During this period, the patient experiences muscle aches, headache, weakness, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, stiff neck muscles, and nausea. Then, for some time, the disease can go into a latent form for up to several months, during which the heart and joints are affected.

Unfortunately, erythema is often mistaken for a local allergic reaction, without giving it much significance. And malaise during the first stage of the disease is attributed to a cold or overwork at work. The disease passes into a latent form, and openly declares itself after a few months, when serious damage to the body has already been done.

What infections can you get from a tick?

A tick bite can cause infection:

• tick-borne encephalitis,
• tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease),
• tularemia,
• babesiosis,
• monocytic ehrlichiosis,
• tick-borne typhus,
• Q fever,
• spotted fever,
• hemorrhagic fevers, etc.

In Russia, the most common diseases are borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. The peak incidence is observed in spring and summer. Other infections are much less common. Table 1 summarizes some of the infections listed.

Key warning signs associated with tick-borne infections include:

• drowsiness and weakness,
• temperature increase,
• chills,
• headache,
• pain in joints and muscles.

Tick-borne encephalitis is characterized by a fear of light and muscle weakness, and borreliosis is characterized by tension in the neck muscles, facial paralysis, inflammation of the joints and lymph nodes. Another telltale symptom of Lyme disease is erythema migrans. This is a red spot at the site of a tick bite, spreading out into a ring on the skin.

One of the signs of Lyme disease is erythema migrans at the site of tick bite. Photo: DennisJacobsen/Depositphotos

With tularemia and ehrlichiosis, digestive disorders (nausea, vomiting) are often observed, and babesiosis and Q fever may be accompanied by a dry cough.

What to do if you notice symptoms

If you notice any suspicious symptoms, you should immediately consult a doctor. Currently, the effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis has been proven only for borreliosis (single dose of doxycycline), however, timely treatment helps to avoid many complications.

What happens if you don’t see a doctor: complications

Ignoring symptoms can lead to dire consequences, including death. In Table 1 we have listed the main complications associated with tick-borne diseases.

If you notice any of the symptoms listed in the table, you should immediately consult a doctor. Currently, the effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis has been proven only for borreliosis (single dose of doxycycline), however, timely treatment helps to avoid many complications.

What should I do if bitten by a tick?

Since the likelihood of contracting dangerous infections increases significantly with prolonged contact of the human body with a tick, the main thing that needs to be done is to remove the arthropod. But the removal procedure should be carried out correctly so as not to crush or damage the tick, since this can further contribute to infection. In addition, the tick can and even should be examined in the laboratory for the fact of infectiousness, and for this it must remain intact.

Therefore, if you do not have the skills to remove ticks, but there is a possibility, it is better to contact the nearest medical institution, where they will expertly remove the arthropod and give recommendations on further actions. In addition, you can ask all your questions regarding tactics of behavior in the presence of a tick on the body by calling 103 (by calling an ambulance).

Prevention and best tick repellents for children

Everyone knows the phrase: “It is easier to prevent a disease than to treat it.” And indeed it is. To prevent outdoor recreation from becoming a headache for parents, there is no need to ignore compliance with certain rules. This will help not only prevent your child from getting sick after walking, but also completely avoid an “encounter” with a tick.

In the spring-summer period it is recommended:

• Do not visit dense forests where there are tall bushes and grasses. It is better to choose places for recreation without abundant herbaceous vegetation;
• choose the right clothes for yourself and your child: closed shoes, pants tucked into socks, long-sleeve sweaters. You should choose light-colored clothing: it’s easy to spot the parasite and shake it off. Be sure to wear a hat and hide your hair under it;
• directly during a walk, periodically inspect your clothes and the clothes of your child in order to see the attached tick in time and prevent it from getting on the skin;
• upon returning home, carefully remove clothes and examine the child’s entire body and scalp;
• Wash street clothes with powder in hot water.

Check if your child is walking in a safe place and what route he is taking. And in case of emergency, receive an instant SOS signal. Download the “Where are my children” application from the AppStore and GooglePlay stores.

How can you remove a tick yourself?

It is best to remove ticks with a special device that is sold in pharmacies. This could be a “lasso pen”, UNICLIN TICK TWISTER, etc. If there is no pharmacy nearby, you can use ordinary cosmetic tweezers or sewing thread.

The person who will remove the tick must take care of his own safety - wear rubber gloves or wrap his fingers in a bandage. It is also advisable to prepare in advance a plastic container with a lid or a plastic bag for the tick (so that it can be delivered safely to the laboratory).

The removal procedure itself must be carried out as follows:

• Grab the arthropod with tweezers or a special device as close to the proboscis as possible (this is the part of the animal’s body that is in the skin). If a thread is used, a loop should be made from it, which must be carefully tightened over the head of the tick embedded in the skin.
• Smoothly pull up. In this case, you should not apply great force, as this may simply cause the tick to burst, and all its contents will end up on the skin and into the wound. In addition, with a sharp jerk, the arthropod’s proboscis remains in the wound, which can cause inflammation and even suppuration.
• After removing the tick, wash the skin with soapy water and treat it with any product containing alcohol. There is no need to apply a bandage. If the head of an arthropod remains in the skin, you should try to remove it from the body with a sterile needle like a splinter.

After removing the tick, it is advisable to do the following:

1. Mark on the calendar the date when everything happened.
2. Call your general practitioner or family doctor, explain the situation and ask about the need and timing of blood tests and taking some preventive measures (in some cases, to prevent the development of tick-borne encephalitis, victims of tick bites are given immunoglobulins, antiviral drugs are prescribed, etc.) .
3. Take the tick to the laboratory. Information about laboratories can be found on the website of Rospotrebnadzor in your region.

It is necessary to visit a doctor in the following cases:

1. If there are signs of inflammation in the bite area (swelling, redness, etc.).
2. If, between 3 and 30 days after the bite, red spots appear on the skin.
3. If your body temperature rises, muscle pain, unmotivated weakness and other unpleasant symptoms appear (these signs are especially important to monitor during the first 2 months after the bite).

How long does it take for a tick bite wound to heal?

On average, a wound after a bite heals in 1–2 weeks. If this does not happen, think about possible causes and complications:

• The tick was removed in such a way that the head remained in the thickness of the skin. Long-term inflammation is inevitable. The need for surgical cleaning cannot be ruled out.
• Complication of secondary infection. This is typical for children and adults who scratch a healing wound and introduce bacteria into it (staphylococci, E. coli, pathogenic fungi, etc.). In case of itching, you need to carefully treat the bite site with antiseptics (alcohol tinctures, iodine, etc.) and ointments that eliminate itching.
• Weak immunity. If wounds heal poorly, bites are no exception. This is typical for people with severe chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, decreased activity of the adrenal glands and thyroid gland, dermatological pathologies, a tendency to allergies). Additional medical consultation is needed to prescribe immunostimulating or antibiotic therapy.

Where to go if you have symptoms of a tick bite in a person?

When bitten by a tick, you need to follow a special algorithm. The first step is to remove the tick. After which it is submitted to a special accredited laboratory. This will reveal the presence of infectious agents. The study is carried out using the PCR method, directly in the body of the tick. A person needs to donate blood to detect antibodies. After all, bites can cause serious consequences. The victim is recommended to undergo a course of treatment based on the results of laboratory tests. If symptoms of a tick bite appear in a person, you need to know where to go.

Where can you submit a tick and how to check it. It is necessary to find a hospital that does such research. Laboratory addresses and telephone numbers can be found on the Internet. Just visit the Ukrpotrebnadzor website. In fact, every hospital that has a laboratory should accept ticks. Most importantly, the research is completely free! It is recommended to clarify this information. Results are provided on the day the tick is submitted or the next day.

Listed below are laboratories where you can submit ticks for analysis in Moscow and the Moscow region; they conduct tests for encephalitis, borreliosis and other infections.

1. FBUZ "Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the City of Moscow": metro station Alekseevskaya, Grafsky lane, building 4 (entrance from the yard, 2nd floor). Telephone
2. Branch of the Federal State Institution "Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in Moscow": metro station 1905 Goda Street, Krasnogvardeisky Boulevard, building 17 building 1. Telephone: 8 (499) 256-24-40
3. Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitis: Moscow Region, Vnukovo, Moskovsky village. Telephone
4. Children's Clinical Hospital No. 13 named after Filatov: metro station Barrikadnaya, Sadovaya-Kudrinskaya street, building 15. Telephone
5. Infectious Clinical Hospital No. 2: Sokolinaya Gora metro station, 8th Sokolinaya Gora Street, building 15. Telephone

If you are afraid to remove the tick yourself, go to the emergency room, where they will professionally remove it and treat the wound. There you will also find out which laboratory the tick can be taken to.

Reviews from those who have been bitten by ticks

Ticks carry many diseases. We have all been vaccinated against encephalitis since our student days, no one got sick. But an employee caught Lyme disease a couple of years ago. The first symptoms are fever and headache, aches throughout the body. I was treated in St. Petersburg, but after a few months everything passed without visible consequences.

Alex

https://otvet.mail.ru/question/37291176

He bit me many times, we have a dacha in the forest. We managed on our own. Extracted using sunflower oil. I took antibiotics. And a young woman of a friend died, she was treated for a long time for everything... but it turned out to be encephalitis. It is necessary to submit the tick for analysis.

Elena Sorokun

https://otvet.mail.ru/question/37291176

Read also:  Efficacy of Clindacin for bacterial vaginosis in pregnant women

He clung to me a year ago - in the botanical garden in Kyiv. I walked with him for a day, only the next morning the guy discovered it (on the back of my hand - I wouldn’t have seen it myself). We went to the hospital (and it was still Sunday) - it was closed, then to another. Then they pulled this tick out (it didn’t hurt at all, by the way), and immediately into the trash. And when the guy asked if they would check the tick for encephalitis, the doctor made such a face as if we had offered to take this tick to America for testing, honestly. But, thank God, it turned out okay.

Anelissa

https://otvet.mail.ru/question/76487449

In the ambulance they advise you to pull out the tick with tweezers, take it closer to the skin with tweezers and carefully twist it, in which direction to turn it - I don’t remember, whether clockwise or counterclockwise. You can try this and that, and of course, get him checked for encephalitis. I don’t recommend using oil, it doesn’t come out, it just dies, it’s been tested more than once.

Princess Frog

https://otvet.mail.ru/question/24820727

A tick bite is dangerous, even if the parasite is removed promptly and correctly. Local reactions do not pose a direct threat to the life of the victim, but can result in long-term discomfort. You need to examine the wound daily until complete healing. If there is no positive trend and the condition worsens, visit an infectious disease specialist.

Prevention of bites and other recommendations

The likelihood of a tick attack on a person depends on:

• epidemiological well-being of the territory of residence;
• a profession associated with frequent presence in the forest or field;
• the likelihood of visiting places unfavorable from the point of view of tick-borne infections.

Prevention of consequences associated with a tick bite is based on:

• vaccination, but this is a preventive measure; it cannot be used if a person is infected;
• specific immunotherapy is a therapeutic measure (administration of immunoglobulin only in case of infection or suspected infection after a bite);
• health insurance to pay for possible treatment;
• using special clothing and devices to prevent ticks from getting on the body;
• the use of agents to repel and kill ticks;
• limiting the number of ticks in biotopes and places where people are likely to be found.

Recommendations for choosing a vaccine

Vaccination significantly reduces the risk of disease; it is indicated for all people living in disadvantaged regions and people professionally associated with forests (drillers, geologists, surveyors, foresters). Anyone who is interested in it can be vaccinated if they wish, provided there are no contraindications.

Primary vaccination is possible from the first year of a child’s life, and then at any age. Adults can be vaccinated with domestic and imported drugs, children are better off with imported ones. In Russia, six vaccine options are available from four manufacturers from Russia, Germany and Switzerland.

Vaccines against tick-borne encephalitis produced in Russia:

• The concentrated inactivated vaccine is indicated for use from three years of age and older;
• Encevir (EnceVir), Russia, is indicated for those aged eighteen and older.

Vaccines against tick-borne encephalitis produced in Switzerland:

• FSME-Immun Junior, indicated from one year to sixteen years;
• FSM-Immun Inject (FSME-Immun Inject), similar indications.

Vaccines against tick-borne encephalitis produced in Germany:

• Encepur Children, indicated from twelve months to eleven years;
• Encepur adult, indicated for ages twelve years and older.

Two vaccination schemes: preventive and emergency:

• Preventive vaccination provides protection against ticks during the first year, and after revaccination – for three years. Repeated vaccinations are carried out every three years.
• Emergency vaccination provides a short-term protective effect. Indication: urgent trips to regions unfavorable for encephalitis.

Vaccination is carried out after a preliminary survey of the patient for allergic reactions, clinical examination, and thermometry. Persons with health problems are not allowed to get vaccinated. There are contraindications and restrictions.

In Russia, “Human immunoglobulin against tick-borne encephalitis” is produced, produced by the Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO “Microgen”. The drug contains ready-made antibodies to viral encephalitis. It is administered intramuscularly for the purpose of treatment, usually after infection or when there is a threat of infection. Doses and frequency of administration can be obtained from your doctor.

Recommendations for insurance of expenses associated with the treatment of tick-borne encephalitis

It is advisable to recommend insurance as an addition to vaccination or as the only measure if vaccination is not possible. Insurance against tick-borne encephalitis is carried out within the framework of VHI - voluntary health insurance. Payments are provided to compensate for the costs of expensive treatment of tick-borne encephalitis and other similar infections. When choosing an insurance program and insurance company, you need to pay attention to:

• the policyholder has permits for the execution of voluntary health insurance;
• the cost of VHI services and the reputation of the policyholder;
• availability of documents for the right to provide medical and preventive care or an agreement with a person authorized to provide such assistance on behalf of the policyholder;
• Availability of a 24-hour toll-free emergency telephone line.

Recommendations for using products to repel and kill ticks

For these purposes, repellents and acaricides can be used.

Repellents repel ticks and insects - these products are suitable for application to exposed parts of the body and for treating clothing. The active ingredient is DEET (diethyltoluamide).

Preparative forms of repellents:

• Gall-RET – aerosol;
• Raptor - aerosol;
• DETA-prof - aerosol;
• Ultraton (Ultraton) USA – lotion, aerosol;
• Biban (Czech Republic) – aerosol;
• DEFI-Taiga – solution, pencil, lotion, emulsion, aerosol, balm, cream, gel;
• Off extreme – aerosol;
• Breeze anti-mite aerosol.

Acaricides (destroy ticks) - have only a contact effect. They should be used exclusively for treating outerwear fabric and anti-tick treatment of areas and premises! Modern acaricides are made based on permethrin and alphacypermethrin:

• Raftamid-taiga is an aerosol that can be used to treat an anti-encephalitis suit, dry it and wear it over underwear with long sleeves and pants. The acaricidal effect lasts up to 10-15 days;
• Picnic Anti-mite – aerosol, apply in the same way;
• Tetrix (concentrate) - a liquid suitable for treating cabins, produced in 0.25 l bottles and 1 l and 5 l canisters;

On sale you can find acaricides recommended for application to the skin. But they should be used carefully - allergies and poisoning are possible.

Recommendations for the destruction of ticks in biotopes and places where people are likely to be found

To prevent the spread of ticks, you should regularly:

• clean the bushes, remove fallen leaves (mites lose their own moisture in the sun, and restore balance in damp shelters);
• destroy small rodents that feed ticks (circulation of the pathogen in wild fauna is a natural source of infection);
• mow the grass in the area (ticks guard the victim in the grass, usually at a height of 0.6 m, maximum height is 1.5 meters; in a hungry state, ticks live from two to four years, according to some data up to seven years; development from egg to adult individuals - imago takes two to three years or more);
• carry out treatment of places where ticks are likely to be concentrated (middle zone ticks move within 5-10 meters, southern ticks - up to 100 meters, orienting with the help of receptors, concentrate along paths, forest edges - in places of likely contact with the victim).

Anti-tick treatments based on knowledge of tick biology are effective when carried out annually. In many regions there are organizations that carry out decontamination, deratization, disinfestation, sell equipment for mowing grass, and chemical agents for anti-tick treatments.

Finding a place for suction and the initial stage of introducing the oral apparatus into the skin

Many species of ixodid ticks are characterized by certain attachment sites on the host's body where the parasites are found in the greatest number of cases, while in other places bites occur less frequently or are absent altogether.

Such a strict confinement to certain places on the victim’s body is explained by a number of reasons. Firstly, this is the exceptional importance of animals’ ability to self-clean: shaking, licking, gnawing, pecking and crushing parasites is used. Therefore, when attached to pets, ticks look for places where self-cleaning is most difficult: the ears, scruff of the neck, head, anal and groin areas.

Another important factor is the microclimate in the selected area of ​​the victim’s body. Different areas of the skin have different temperatures and degrees of moisture, and the nature of secretions and acid-base balance also differ. The ideal place for the parasite to attach itself should not be constantly exposed to direct sunlight, otherwise the tick will quickly lose its water supply.

The actual structure of the skin is also important – how rough it is and how well vascularized it is.

On a note

In the case of wild animals, one should not lose sight of the factor of aggregation, that is, when there are many ticks on one host at once. In this case, some types of parasites choose areas distant from the place of attachment of others. Parasites form local accumulations, which significantly reduces the effectiveness of local immune reactions of the host organism and increases the efficiency of the ectoparasite's nutrition.

The sites of tick bites in humans have been well studied. Shoes and clothing limit the number of places for attachment, but ticks find a way out of this situation.

The largest percentage of ticks attached to a person occurs in the axillary region, then in descending order: on the chest, abdomen, groin, buttocks, and legs. In children, frequent attachment to the head is also observed. It is worth noting that ticks navigate perfectly under clothing, making their way to the body even through small cracks.

How to detect a tick

There is an opinion that ticks fall on us from trees; this opinion has developed due to the fact that ticks are often found in the head and neck area. In fact, ticks are inactive and wait for their prey at approximately the height of our knees. And only then do they begin to crawl upward in search of a place for an easy puncture. The most common places for punctures are: the groin area, abdomen and lower back, chest, armpits, neck and behind the ears. Places with a high probability that we will catch a tick are: ravines and lowlands of meadows, forest edges and sides of forest paths, thickets on the banks of reservoirs.

How does a tick bite?

After finding a suitable place to feed, the parasite begins to dig into the skin.

When a tick bites, it cuts through the upper stratum corneum of the skin, making alternating movements with its sharp chelicerae. This is similar to how a surgeon wields a scalpel (only the parasite has two of them at once).

Despite the high mechanical strength of the upper layer of skin, it does not create serious obstacles to the path of the tick's oral organs to the inner layers where the blood vessels are located. Moreover, there is no direct relationship between the thickness of the skin of the preferred host and the length of the chelicerae.

It is also useful to read: Tick insurance – a necessity or a waste of money?

The process of cutting through the skin lasts the first 15-20 minutes from the moment the bite begins.

At the same time, the process of inserting the proboscis into the incision formed by the chelicerae begins. The entire proboscis is completely immersed in the wound, almost to the base of the head, and the palps are bent almost parallel to the skin.

As a result, the length of the gnathosoma quite accurately reflects the depth of penetration of the tick into the integument - during a bite, the parasite penetrates quite deeply, and the gnathosoma is located in the middle layer of the skin, rich in blood vessels.

On a note

An important fact is that the tick is able to regulate the depth of penetration of the proboscis into the integument. This depends on the size of the victim and the thickness of its skin. It is also worth considering that the deeper the tick burrows into the skin, the stronger the host’s immune defense reaction will be. Severe inflammatory processes may begin, negatively affecting the tick and reducing the chances of successful feeding.

Scientists also noticed that species that are characterized by frequent changes of hosts penetrate to a shallower depth, as this minimizes the chances of injury to the parasite’s gnathosoma and increases the likelihood of the success of the next feeding.

Thus, the entire stage of the bite itself (suction) lasts quite a long time - usually this requires at least half an hour. All this time, anesthetic substances are injected into the wound, so the victim does not experience any unpleasant sensation or pain (along with saliva, anticoagulants and some other substances are also injected). As a rule, it is possible to find out about a bite only when a parasite is detected on the body.

Next, the tick’s feeding process occurs, a step-by-step description of which is given below.

Who are they - ticks?

Blood-sucking mites belong to the Arachnida group of arachnids, a class of arthropods. More than 54 thousand species are now known, including 144 fossils. The length of a typical tick is 0.2 - 0.4 mm, but can reach up to 5 mm. The first cases of bites are usually recorded at the beginning of spring, when the air temperature warms up by 1°C. The attack period continues until late autumn, with the bulk of bites occurring in May–June. These parasites are carriers of many infections and diseases, the most dangerous being encephalitis, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis. Only 10% of the total number of ticks are carriers of infections, but the remaining 90% cause problems.

Tick ​​bite: signs, symptoms, and consequences.

Tick ​​bite: signs, symptoms, and consequences.

What does a tick bite look like on a person? The active season for ticks begins in the spring; it is during this period that people and animals are most at risk of contracting the parasite. Tick ​​season lasts from spring to fall. The tick resembles a tiny beetle, its body length is only 4 mm, has 4 pairs of legs, and is covered with a shell on top. Since the arthropod is very small, it is very difficult for a person to see its head and blood-sucking proboscis without special devices. Although the tick does not have eyes, it can smell its prey from a distance of 10 meters, thanks to its well-developed sense of smell. The male's body is smaller than the female's. A female, having drunk blood, can reach up to 2 cm in size; she can drink blood 10 times her own weight. Many people are afraid that a tick may fall from a tree and burrow into the scalp or neck, where it is very difficult to detect instantly. It is a myth. The tick does not rise above 50 cm from the ground, so this possibility is excluded. Often he waits for a warm-blooded creature in the grass or on a bush, and when it comes closer, he grabs it with his front paws and climbs up quite quickly. The parasite travels throughout the victim’s body, choosing the most desirable areas for itself (most often the stomach, neck, ears, armpits). Then it digs into the skin, cutting it with its proboscis, and begins to suck out the blood. The mark of a tick bite on a person’s body remains in the form of a small red spot 1 centimeter in size, unless a severe allergic reaction occurs.

The condition of the victim depends on the number of bites and physique. They are more difficult to tolerate for the elderly, children and people with severe and allergic diseases. Possible signs of a bite in a person: Redness, itching. Increased body temperature. The appearance of a headache. Decreased blood pressure. Increased heart rate. The appearance of skin rashes. Enlarged lymph nodes. Constant feeling of weakness. The consequences of the attack depend on whether the parasite is infected or not. The most dangerous thing for humans is the bite of an encephalitis tick. The consequences of such a bite are extremely severe (in case of infection and refusal of treatment): Paralyzes the body. Breathing problems occur. Decreased brain activity. Death. If a person has suffered from a sterile tick, the complications may not be so dangerous: The affected area rots. An allergic reaction occurs. Swelling appears, angioedema is possible. It is impossible to independently determine whether an infectious tick has embedded itself or not. Their appearance and color do not depend on whether they are infected or not. If bitten by an infected tick, timely treatment can save the victim's life. How long does it take for symptoms of a tick bite to appear in humans?

The first symptoms appear after 2-3 hours in the form of redness of the skin. After a week or later, the symptoms described above may appear. How is a tick bite different from other insect bites? How to find out which insect bit and left characteristic marks on the skin? There will be only one spot, there will be no similar ones in the neighborhood, the redness will increase every hour, and an allergic reaction may occur. Can a tick simply bite a person without burrowing its head under the skin? Answer: no. The tick bites only for the purpose of saturation, and for this it needs to get a good hold, inject an anesthetic and immerse its proboscis along with its head under the skin of the victim. Males need less blood to satiate, so they can fall off within an hour, but females need a lot of blood, so they can parasitize for up to 6 days and increase in size many times over. Ticks drink blood in order to get enough and leave offspring. Females will not be able to lay eggs in a hungry state; they definitely need blood.

How long can a tick suck blood? From several minutes to several hours, and females, as a rule, stay on the victim’s body longer. It should be noted that most of the time the tick is on the skin of a person or animal, looking for a place to suction, so if the tick has not yet latched on, you need to brush it off as soon as possible (no need to squash it on yourself like a mosquito, you can get an infection under the skin) . On average, an adult sucks blood for 1-2 hours, after which it disappears. How much blood can a tick drink at one time? Hungry ixodid ticks weigh from 2 to 15 mg, and saturated ones from 200 to 1200 mg, which is many times their own weight. In one bite, a tick can pump out up to 1000 mg of human blood. The size of a hungry tick does not exceed 4 mm, and a well-fed one can reach 3 cm, becoming similar in size to a corn seed. Does a tick die after being bitten? Some people seriously think that a tick dies after it bites a person, but this is not at all true. On the contrary, the only thing that benefits from the bite is its nutrition, which contributes to further development and reproduction. A hungry tick will not be able to leave offspring, so biting people and animals is a vital necessity for it. How dangerous is a tick bite for humans?

A tick can serve as a carrier of a fairly extensive list of diseases, so after removing the tick, it is better to save it for tests to determine infections (encephalitis, borreliosis, called Lyme disease), this is done in the laboratory at the infectious diseases hospital. Scientists have proven that the chance of becoming infected from a tick is unlikely, since 90% of ticks, according to research, are not infected. Although minimal, the chance exists.

First aid. If a tick is crawling on you, shake it off immediately, and if it has already attached itself, remove it as soon as possible and store it in a jar with moistened cotton wool or blades of grass to deliver it alive to the laboratory for studying and diagnosing infections. Treat the wound with an antiseptic. If signs of an allergy are observed - severe redness and swelling of the bite site, immediately give the victim an antiallergic drug. .

How to remove a tick? The arthropod attaches itself to the human body very firmly, since the saliva of the parasite acts as a strengthener. The proboscis digs deep into the skin, so removing the tick must be done very carefully. Step-by-step recommendations for removing a tick: Using counterclockwise movements in a circle, as if unscrewing a screw, pull it out of the skin using tweezers. Be careful that the head of the tick does not come off. If you had to remove the bloodsucker in nature, and there were no tweezers nearby, an ordinary thread will help. With its help, the proboscis is tied near the very surface of the skin and pulled out with light jerks. After removal, you need to make sure that the tick is intact, put it in an airtight container and deliver it to the sanitary and epidemiological station for analysis as soon as possible. Lubricate the surface near the bite with any antiseptic. People often advise treating the affected area with oil, kerosene, gasoline and other liquids so that the tick comes out on its own. This action is wrong - the tick will try to dive even deeper under the skin. But if the insect crawls out after this, its body cannot be examined in the laboratory. What to do if the tick head remains under the skin? The tick's head may remain under the skin if it is removed carelessly or too quickly. It looks like a small splinter, so some people are negligent about removing it, saying “the tick is dead, it no longer sucks blood, it will fall off on its own,” or they simply don’t notice. But this is not recommended. Remaining under the skin, the tick's proboscis will provoke inflammation and suppuration of the wound. Therefore, do not leave the head or proboscis of the tick under the skin, waiting for them to fall off on their own. Take a sharp needle disinfected in alcohol and pick up the remaining proboscis and remove it. After a bite, a small wound will remain on the skin, which will heal quickly if the tick was not infectious. Treat the bite site with peroxide, then brilliant green or iodine. If the tick bite is very itchy, use Fenistil gel or a similar itching reliever. Try not to scratch the inflamed area to speed up the healing process. To prevent the head of the tick from remaining under the skin, catch it as close as possible to the site of suction. What disease can you get from a tick bite? After a tick bite, a person develops various ailments - from ordinary irritation to a serious or fatal disease: Encephalitis: at first the disease resembles a common cold. The incubation period can last up to a week. No analysis will provide one hundred percent information about the infection if 10 days have not passed since the attack. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to bring a live and unharmed parasite for examination. Borreliosis (Lyme disease): This disease can be transmitted to humans if the tick contains Borrelia bacteria. Symptoms do not appear immediately, after a while the lymph nodes become enlarged, the body aches, and a red ring appears on the skin.

What to do? There is no need to panic; often elevated body temperature and muscle pain can be a manifestation of the body’s protective psychological response after fear and anxiety. The onset of the disease goes through certain stages: Unreasonable and short-lived chills, an increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees. According to the clinical signs of the formation of encephalitis, this period is more similar to influenza infection. After some time, the patient may experience symptoms: nausea and vomiting, attacks of severe headache. At this stage, all symptoms indicate a gastrointestinal disorder. After a few days, the patient will suddenly develop symptoms of arthritis or arthrosis. The pain in the head goes away and is replaced by aches throughout the body. The patient's movements become very difficult, and breathing problems arise. The skin on the face and body becomes red and swollen, and purulent abscesses appear at the site of the bite. Further, the symptoms only worsen, because the infection enters the patient’s circulatory system and begins its destructive work. Delay can lead to death! If an embedded tick is found on the body, it should be pulled out immediately. You can do this procedure yourself or go to the hospital. Health workers can easily remove it and run a series of tests. Only in laboratory conditions can one accurately determine whether this tick is dangerous. If treatment is necessary, you must unconditionally follow the recommendations and instructions of the attending physician so that the effectiveness of the treatment is maximum.

Branch of the FBUZ "Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Ryazan Region in the Shilovsky District" NADEZHDA KOLDAEVA

Parasite feeding process

After the tick has successfully burrowed into the skin, it begins to feed. At this moment, along with the proboscis, the wound also contains chelicerae with sheaths that expand the tissues near the hypostome.

Directly from the skin, the proboscis is separated by a special cement case, which represents the frozen secretions of the parasite's salivary glands. This case has the shape of a tube and extends into the skin a little further than the top of the proboscis.

Accordingly, first the food enters the cavity of the case, and then into the pre-oral cavity of the tick. On the surface of the skin, this case ends in a frozen roller, to which the base of the proboscis is glued.

This is interesting

After a bite, the tick is retained in the host not only thanks to the hooks of the proboscis, but also due to the outgrowths on the cheliceral cases, which appear to be sealed into the walls of the cement case. This feature increases the reliability of attachment and protects the tick’s oral organs from inflammatory infiltrate while the parasite drinks blood.

It is worth noting that the tick feeds not only on blood, but also on lysed skin tissue where the proboscis is inserted.

After the parasite has formed a cement sheath and is finally established, the process of blood absorption begins. There is an opinion that ticks prefer a certain blood type, but this is not true. Blood type has nothing to do with the choice of victim or saturation - ticks equally often bite people with different blood groups.

At the blood-sucking stage, anticoagulants are introduced into the host tissue, which prevent blood clotting, so that the parasite can feed for a long time. Additionally, digestive enzymes from saliva are injected into the wound, and partial dissolution of the adjacent tissue occurs. Because of this, a local inflammatory process forms in the host’s body, which in some cases can spread and cause an increase in the victim’s temperature.

This is also dangerous because pathogens such as Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis can enter the host’s body along with the tick’s saliva. Moreover, the longer an encephalitic or borreliosis tick feeds, the greater the amount of saliva it produces and the greater the likelihood of infecting a person with the corresponding disease.

The duration of tick feeding varies and depends on the stage of its ontogenesis and gender. Nymphs drink blood for 2-3 days, and sexually mature females can stay on the host’s body for up to a week. Males usually do not feed, and if a male does attach itself, it stays on the host for only a few hours.

Prolonged feeding of females is associated with a clear dependence of the success of egg development on the degree of saturation of the parasite. Only a completely well-fed female can fully ripen eggs and lay them. Therefore, female ticks are the most active and dangerous to humans.

On a note

It is quite easy to distinguish a female tick from a male. The male has a wide chitinous matte scute on the upper side of the body, which completely covers the back, while in females the scute only reaches the middle of the back.

Tick ​​nymphs become saturated relatively quickly. They need food for molting and further development, but they are also carriers of pathogens of various diseases, like adults.

The body sizes of a well-fed and hungry tick differ significantly - they can increase 25 times! And even if it was not immediately possible to notice a tick bite, then after it has been on the body for some time, it is difficult not to notice the parasite, since it becomes much larger (a engorged tick looks like a gray sac or a grape).

The increase in body size of the parasite during blood sucking occurs unevenly. During the first day after attachment to the host, the size of the tick's body does not increase, but even decreases slightly, as significant evaporation of water occurs. The second stage is the longest, with the size of the tick increasing 10-20 times.

After the tick is completely saturated, it disappears on its own. The muscles of the oral apparatus relax, the chelicerae are pressed tightly against the proboscis, and the tick easily removes it from the integument of the victim’s body.

After falling away from the host, the parasite again becomes free-living for some time - it looks for a favorable place in its natural biotopes (forest, park, square) and lays eggs, preparing for molting and wintering. It no longer has contact with its previous host - its function is completed, and the next stage of the parasite’s life cycle begins.