Good afternoon, our dear readers. The time of spring and summer is coming. Increasingly in recent times we meet or hear such a disease as "tick-borne encephalitis". People are afraid to go to the forest. Someone says that a tick comes across in city parks and so on. What is the danger of a tick bite?
With the arrival of spring, ticks leave their burrows and sit on blades of grass near the ground and are just waiting for someone to plunge their jaws hungry for fresh blood. In order not to become a victim of this bloodsucker, who can carry diseases dangerous to humans, we properly equip ourselves for a trip to the forest or countryside.
But also, before talking about what to do if a tick has bitten, you need to understand why a tick bite is dangerous in general. The enemy, as they say, must be known by sight. This is the only way to avoid panic and not commit wrong actions.
Ticks are characterized by seasonality. The first attacks are recorded in early spring, when the air temperature rises above 0 0 С, and the latter - in the fall. Peak bites are observed from April to July.
Bloodsuckers do not like bright sun and wind, so they watch for their prey in humid, not too shady places, in dense grass and bushes. Most often found in ravines, at the edges of forests, along the edges of paths or in parks.
The most common diseases transmitted through a tick bite.
| Disease | Causative agent of the disease | Mite carrier | What does it look like? |
|
Virus from the Flavaviridae family | Ixodid ticks: I. ricinus, I. persicatus |
 |
|
Spirochete -Borrelia burgdoferi | Ixodid ticks:
|
 |
|
Virus of the genus Nairovirus, family of bunyaviruses | Mites kindHyaloma
|
 |
Source: polismed.com.
- Tick-borne encephalitis- an infectious viral disease transmitted through tick bites, characterized by fever and central nervous system often leading to disability and death.
On average, symptoms of the disease appear 7-14 days (5-25 days) after infection. The onset of the disease is acute, more often the patient can indicate not only the day, but also the hour of the onset of the disease.
In most cases, the disease ends with complete recovery. With focal forms, a large percentage of a person will remain disabled. The terms of incapacity for work are from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 months, depending on the form of the disease.
Ixodic tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease)- It infection, transmitted through the bites of ixodid ticks, characterized by damage to the nervous system, skin, joints, heart, the disease is prone to chronic course.
If the tick is removed no later than 5 hours after the bite, the development of borreliosis can be avoided. This is due to the fact that the causative agent of Borrelia disease is located in the intestine of the tick and begins to be released only when the tick actively begins to feed, and this, on average, occurs 5 hours after it is introduced into the human skin.
The prognosis for life is favorable. When started late and improper treatment, the disease becomes chronic and can lead to disability. The terms of incapacity for work are from 7 to 30 days, depending on the course and form of the disease.
Crimean hemorrhagic fever- severe viral infectious disease, transmitted by tick bites, characterized by fever, intoxication and bleeding. The disease belongs to a number of dangerous infectious diseases.
Late hospitalization, misdiagnosis and treatment is often fatal. The mortality rate is 25%. The terms of incapacity for work are from 7 to 30 days, depending on the form of the disease.
How does a tick bite happen?
The tick gnaws at the skin with the help of a hypostome (mouth apparatus) dotted along the edges with growths facing back. This structure of the organ helps the bloodsucker to stay firmly in the tissues of the host.
With borreliosis, a tick bite looks like focal erythema up to 20-50 cm in diameter. The form of inflammation is most often correct, with a bright red outer border. After a day, the center of erythema turns pale and acquires a bluish tint, a crust appears and soon the site of the bite is scarred. After 10-14 days, there is no trace of the lesion.
Signs of a tick bite.
- there is weakness, a desire to lie down;
- chills and fever occur, possibly an increase in temperature;
- photophobia appears.
Important! In people of this group, symptoms can be supplemented by low blood pressure, increased heart rate, itching, headache and enlargement of nearby lymph nodes.
In rare cases, there is difficulty in breathing and hallucinations.
Temperature after a bite as a symptom of the disease.
Each infection caused by a bloodsucker bite has its own characteristics:
- With tick-borne encephalitis, a recurrent fever appears. The first rise in temperature is recorded 2-3 days after the bite. After two days everything is back to normal. In some cases, there is a repeated rise in temperature for 9-10 days.
- Borreliosis is characterized by a fever in the middle of the disease, which is accompanied by other symptoms of infection.
- With monocytic ehrlichiosis, the temperature rises 10-14 days after the tick bite and lasts about 3 weeks.
Almost all diseases transmitted by bloodsuckers are accompanied by fever.
Rules of conduct for a tick bite.
So what to do if bitten by a tick? First of all, do not panic, do everything according to the instructions. It is necessary to remove the bloodsucker as soon as possible. This should be done slowly and carefully so as not to damage it and not provoke infection.
In this case, you can not use gasoline, nail polish and others chemical substances... Will not help and vegetable oil or fat. Better to use effective and proven methods.
STEP 1- Remove the tick as soon as you find it.
Remove the embedded tick as quickly as possible. If the tick is infected, the chances of getting sick tick-borne encephalitis depends on the amount of the virus that penetrates during the "bite" of the tick, that is, on the time during which the tick was in a sucked state.
You should try to remove the tick alive together with the head, because in the tick's head there are salivary glands, in which viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms.
What to do first if bitten by a tick:
- treat the bite with an alcohol-based product,
- if there is rubber gloves- put on,
- remove the tick using one of the tools:
Method 1 With a tick twist:
bring the slit (loop) of the device under the tick along its narrow part as close to the skin as possible, then rotate the tick around its axis (like a screw) - when rotating, the spines of the proboscis twist and after 2-3 turns the tick is removed entirely.
A homemade pincer wrench can be made from a bread bag clip (cut at the end and bend it) or cut from packaging material, such as a pill box.
Method 2 With a thread:
Tie a strong (synthetic) thread around the tick's head in a loop on a knot as close to the tick proboscis as possible, as close to the skin as possible, so as not to break the tick in half with the thread.
Stretching the ends of the thread to the sides with swinging-twisting movements, carefully remove the tick, pulling it slightly. Do not make sudden movements, pull slowly, without jerking and with stops.
Or, after tying the thread, twist both ends of the thread together, holding the twisted thread at an angle of 45 degrees to the bite site, start making rotational movements around the tick, slightly pulling the thread towards you:
Method 3 With tweezers:
Grab the tick with tweezers at the proboscis close to the skin without squeezing the abdomen, rotate the tick around its axis.
When using tweezers, you must act very carefully, since there is a high risk of squeezing (crushing) the tick body and introducing an infection into the wound, which will increase the risk of infection.
Method 4 Fingers:
If none of the above is at hand, try removing the tick with your fingers. Wear gloves, fingertips, or bandage around your fingers.
Wipe your skin with rubbing alcohol.
Rotate the tick around its axis alternately in one direction and the other.
After removing the tick, treat the wound with any antiseptic (iodine, brilliant green, betadine, alcohol, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, cologne, etc.) and wash your hands thoroughly. The wound must be treated with an antiseptic every day; it is not necessary to fix it with a bandage. The wound usually heals within a week.
If the head of the tick came off during removal - if there is a head, a black dot will be visible - it must be removed. Remaining in the skin can cause inflammation and suppuration. When the tick head is torn off, the infection process can continue, since a significant concentration of tick-borne encephalitis virus can be present in the salivary glands and ducts.
To remove the torn off head, it is better to contact the nearest medical institution.
If this is not possible, the remnants of the tick can be pulled out of the wound with a sterile needle (previously calcined over a fire). After removing it, rinse the bite site with soapy water, dry and disinfect with alcohol, brilliant green, iodine or other alcohol-containing solution.
If there is no sterile needle and antiseptics, leave it as it is - after suppuration, the head (proboscis) of the tick will be squeezed out along with the pus.
Wear rubber gloves or fingertips. Do not come into contact with the tick.
If you can't remove the tick yourself,
he is in hard to reach place or you are afraid of damaging it, contact the nearest medical institution at your location (emergency room, surgical department of the polyclinic, infectious diseases hospital, FAP, medical outpatient clinic).
You can find out where the nearest medical facility is located by calling:
- from a landline phone by number 03
- c mobile phone by number 112
You must have a passport and a compulsory medical insurance policy with you.
Under the compulsory medical insurance policy in any medical institution, they are obliged (in accordance with SP 3.1.3310-15):
- remove the tick;
- deliver the tick for examination for the presence of dangerous infectious diseases inherent in the territory where it was collected;
- to carry out emergency prevention;
- in case of tick infestation, inform the victim about the need to take emergency preventive measures within 72 hours after sucking under the supervision of an infectious disease doctor, and in his absence, a general practitioner.
After removal of the tick, it must be saved for analysis.
Place the removed mite in a clean dish (test tube, vial, jar, etc.), in which you first place absorbent paper slightly moistened with water (filter, paper napkin, etc.) - it is important that the insect's body is in a humid environment.
Storage and delivery of ticks in compliance with these conditions is possible only within 2 days(according to information from some laboratories - up to 5 days). The sooner you deliver the tick, the more accurate the test will be.
For testing for encephalitis and borelliasis, you can bring both a live and a dead tick, and part of a tick, but it is advisable to keep the tick whole and alive, because not all laboratories have equipment for analyzing a dead tick or its parts.
What not to do:
- Do not pick or press the tick with your bare hands - the infection can enter the bloodstream through microcracks in the skin.
- Do not remove the tick with your teeth, in this case, infection with pathogens through the mouth is not excluded.
- Do not pick out the tick with sharp objects.
- The tick cannot be squeezed, dragged by the abdomen and pulled out sharply.
- The tick does not need to be poured or smeared with anything.
- The tick does not need to be cauterized.
- Do not comb the bite site.
If a non-sucked tick is found, it is removed and destroyed (thrown into a fire, into a jar with hot water(> 60 degrees Celsius) or oily liquid).
STEP 2.1- Make an analysis of the tick within 2 days of the bite.
Within 2 days (48 hours), take the stored tick for laboratory testing for the presence of tick-borne infections.
Some laboratories accept ticks up to 5 days from the date of the bite, but the most informative test of the tick on the 1st day (24 hours) from the moment of removal.
For research on encephalitis and borelliasis, you can bring both a live and a dead, and part of a tick, but it is desirable to keep the tick whole and alive. Some laboratories only take a whole tick for analysis.
The analysis of the tick is done by state and non-state institutions.
Address government agencies(Centers for hygiene and epidemiology, infectious diseases hospitals, laboratories), where you can carry out the analysis, you can find out:
- from a landline phone by number 03;
- from a mobile phone by number 112;
- in the Internet.
Attention! The laboratory does not provide a service for removing the tick from the skin, but only carries out diagnostics of the extracted ticks. Ticks are removed only in medical institutions (trauma center, hospital, clinic, FAP, outpatient clinic).
Analysis time 2 days(1st day - delivery, 2nd receipt of test results, sometimes on the same day if you brought the tick in the morning). Better order complex analysis tick for infections (necessarily - for tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis, preferably for other infections).
If, according to the results of laboratory tests, tick infections are not detected, observe your well-being for 30 days. If everything is in order with your health, you do not need to do anything else.
The presence of an infection in a tick does not mean that you will get sick.
Tick analysis will relieve anxiety in case negative result and will allow you to act consciously and rationally in case of a positive result.
STEP 3.1- The tick is infected: no later than 4 days after the bite, seek medical attention.
If the tick is infected, seek medical help no later than 4 days (96 hours) from the moment of the bite. You can go to the local polyclinic or to a paid clinic to see a general practitioner or infectious disease specialist. The doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment for the pathogen.
The most severe infections caused by a tick bite, which are very difficult, have a chronic course and a long rehabilitation period (up to 1 year) and can lead to disability and death:
borreliosis or Lyme disease (bacterial infection)
tick-borne encephalitis (viral infection),
Treatment usually consists of a course of antibiotics and immunomodulators. It is better to start taking them on the very first day after a tick bite. Treatment must be prescribed by a doctor.
If the tick is infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus and no more than 4 days (96 hours) have passed since the bite, as an emergency prophylaxis, the doctor may prescribe seroprophylaxis - single intramuscular injection human immunoglobulin against tick-borne encephalitis (this component serum proteins) at a dose of 1 ml = 1 ampoule per 10 kg of body weight.
Immunoglobulin is administered to persons unvaccinated against tick-borne viral encephalitis; who received an incomplete course of vaccinations; having defects in the vaccination course; those who do not have documentary evidence of preventive vaccinations, as well as vaccinated persons in case of multiple suction of ticks.
The effectiveness of the administration of immunoglobulin is strongly influenced by the speed of seeking medical care after a tick bite, especially for children.
After the introduction of immunoglobulin, antiviral drugs of the interferon group and vitamin C are also prescribed to stimulate immunity.
In cases:
inability to administer immunoglobulin,
in the absence of the possibility of conducting a laboratory test of a tick or blood,
if you see a doctor when more than 3-4 days have passed since the tick sucked,
you have no money for immunoglobulin,
the doctor may prescribe emergency prevention of tick-borne encephalitis with the antiviral drug iodantipyrine.
Iodantipyrine tablets are taken orally after meals:
- 300 mg (3 tablets) - 3 times a day for the first 2 days;
- 200 mg (2 tablets) - 3 times a day for the next 2 days;
- 100 mg (1 tablet) - 3 times a day for the next 5 days.
Only 45 tablets in 9 days.
It is not recommended to use immunoglobulin and iodantipyrine together.
Iodantipyrine can also be used as additional measure if you have been vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis.
Some doctors do not trust iodantipyrine as a drug for the treatment of tick-borne infections.
For a while incubation period tick-borne encephalitis, ensure a balanced diet, try to avoid any stressful situations for the body (overheating, hypothermia, heavy physical activity etc.).
Contraindications to immunoglobulin and iodantipyrine are pregnancy.
Iodantipyrine is contraindicated in persons with increased function. thyroid gland and hypersensitivity to iodine.
Neither immunoglobulin nor iodantipyrine protects against other tick-borne diseases.
Re-use of immunoglobulin is possible no earlier than 1 month after administration.
Some experts recommend in regions where high risk infection with borreliosis, during the first 3 days after the bite (the sooner, the better!), begin prophylaxis of borreliosis with antibiotics, without even waiting for the results of the tick analysis.
IMPORTANT! The decision on the need for the introduction of anti-mite immunoglobulin and the appointment of antibiotics and other drugs is made by the doctor!
STEP 2.2- If you have not passed the tick for analysis or there is a suspicion of an infection, take a blood test.
If after a tick bite:
you have not passed the tick for analysis;
or according to the results of the analysis, it turned out that the tick is a carrier of tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis;
or any symptoms appear (fever, headache, weakness, malaise, etc.)
get a blood test for tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis and other tick-borne infections, even if you feel well. Borreliosis (Lyme disease) can be asymptomatic.
Blood is donated on an empty stomach (at least 4 hours must pass after a meal), do not smoke for 30 minutes before donating blood.
You must have a passport, a compulsory medical insurance policy (or VHI, if any) and insurance against a tick bite (if any).
Terms of blood donation for analysis:
Blood for tick-borne infections is submitted for analysis 10-20 days after the bite:
after 10 days - for borreliosis and encephalitis by PCR method(using the PCR method, you can determine the presence of tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis, monocytic ehrlichiosis);
after 2 weeks (14 days) - for IgM antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus,
after 3-4 weeks (21-30 days) - for IgM antibodies against the causative agent of borreliosis.
Before taking the tests, consult with your doctor or laboratory doctor, in what time frame and what tests you need to take.
If the test results are positive, this means that the tick has infected you with an infection.
You can donate blood for analysis free of charge at the local polyclinic. To do this, you need to contact a therapist or infectious disease specialist.
Or in paid laboratories.
The tests are ready for about 1 week.
If the blood test does not confirm infection, there is no danger, but you need to monitor your well-being.
If a blood test confirms infection, it is necessary to seek treatment from a general practitioner or infectious disease specialist for diagnosis, hospitalization, treatment and medical supervision.
After the course of treatment, another blood test is performed, with positive result continue treatment, and if negative, it is advisable to repeat the blood test after 3-6 months to exclude relapses.
STEP 3.2- Did not donate a tick or blood for analysis: within 1 month, see a doctor and monitor your well-being.
If for some reason you did not donate a tick or blood for analysis, you must be observed by an infectious disease specialist within 1 month from the moment of the bite.
Also, watch how you feel: whether symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, or other infections appear.
The symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis usually appear within 2 weeks after the bite. Symptoms may occur earlier and later - 1 month after infection
General symptoms: chills, fever up to 38-40, headache and body aches.
Main distinctive feature borreliosis (Lyme disease) - erythema annular migrans. This is a bright red spot at the site of the bite that gradually enlarges to form rings. With borreliosis, erytherma may not form, but proceed with symptoms similar to tick-borne encephalitis.
Borreliosis is very well treated for early stages, in advanced cases it becomes difficult to cure.
In case of any deterioration in health, immediately contact a medical institution for examination and possible subsequent treatment.
Prevention of tick bites.
Main and main measure the prevention of diseases transmitted by bloodsuckers is vaccination. The exercise significantly reduces the risk of infection after tick bites. Vaccination is necessary for people living in epidemiologically dangerous areas or people whose work is related to forestry.
Advice. Despite the limited risk group, the vaccine is best done for everyone. After all, it is not known where "lucky" to meet a tick.
Primary vaccination is permitted with early age... Adults can use domestic and imported drugs, children can use only imported ones. You should not buy the vaccine yourself and bring it to the vaccination room. They won't drive her anyway.
The drug requires very strict storage rules, adherence to a certain temperature and light regime, which cannot be done at home. Therefore, it makes no sense to purchase an expensive drug and store it in the refrigerator.
There are two options for vaccination:
- Preventive vaccination. Helps to protect against a tick bite within a year, and after additional vaccination - at least 3 years. Revaccinations are carried out every three years.
- Emergency vaccination. Allows you to protect yourself from tick bites on short term... For example, such a procedure will be necessary for an urgent trip to regions with high tick-borne activity. While in epidemiologically dangerous areas, it is recommended to take iodantipyrine.
The introduction of the vaccine is carried out only after a detailed questioning, visual inspection and temperature measurement. Persons with inflammatory diseases are not vaccinated until complete recovery.
How to protect yourself from a tick bite?
Going to an unfavorable area, you should choose clothes in light colors:
- a shirt or jacket with cuffs and a tight collar, trousers tucked into boots;
- antiencephalitis suit;
- Thick hood with ties to protect the ears and neck from ticks;
- it is advisable to treat clothes with insecticidal agents.
To repel ticks, special insecticidal products based on DEET are produced, but the repellents are not effective enough and require application every 2 hours. You can process them open areas bodies and clothes.
Acaricides are more effective. The drugs are used for contact killing of ticks. They can only handle outerwear worn over underwear.
Attention! Often on sale there are acaricides for application to skin... However, they should be used very carefully. A severe allergic reaction and poisoning are possible.
Tick-borne encephalitis insurance.
Recently, insurance of expenses related to possible disease encephalitis after "meeting" a tick. Such a measure is often used as an adjunct to vaccination or as an independent measure.
The insurance will help pay for expensive treatment for tick-borne encephalitis and other infections carried by bloodsuckers.
Attention! The article is for reference only. Competent diagnosis and treatment of diseases is possible only under the supervision of a specialist.
That's all for us, we hope this article will help you, be careful and careful. Join us on Odnoklassniki, and read us on our channel in Yandex.Zen. Goodbye to everyone.
Based on materials: beetlestop.ru, helpcase.ru.
Tick bite - detailed instructions what to do. updated: April 4, 2018 by the author: Pavel Subbotin
Ticks are characterized by seasonality. The first cases of attacks are recorded in early spring, when the air temperature rises above 00 C, and the last - in autumn. Peak bites are observed from April to July.
Bloodsuckers do not like bright sun and wind, so they watch for their prey in humid, not too shady places, in dense grass and bushes. Most often found in ravines, at the edges of forests, along the edges of paths or in parks.
Favorite bite sites are the neck, the area behind the ears, the armpits, the groin area, and the elbows.
The most common diseases transmitted through a tick bite:
Tick-borne encephalitis is an infectious viral disease transmitted through tick bites, characterized by fever and damage to the central nervous system, often leading to disability and death. On average, symptoms of the disease appear 7-14 days (5-25 days) after infection. The onset of the disease is acute, more often the patient can indicate not only the day, but also the hour of the onset of the disease. In most cases, the disease ends with complete recovery. With focal forms, a large percentage of a person will remain disabled. The terms of incapacity for work are from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 months, depending on the form of the disease.
Ixodic tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease) - This is an infectious disease transmitted through the bites of ixodid ticks, characterized by damage to the nervous system, skin, joints, heart, the disease is prone to chronic course. If the tick is removed no later than 5 hours after the bite, the development of borreliosis can be avoided.This is due to the fact that the causative agent of borrelia disease is located in the intestine of the tick and begins to be released only when the tick actively begins to feed, and this, on average, occurs 5 hours after it is introduced into human skin. The prognosis for life is favorable. When started late and improper treatment, the disease becomes chronic and can lead to disability. The terms of incapacity for work are from 7 to 30 days, depending on the course and form of the disease.
Crimean hemorrhagic fever is a severe viral infectious disease transmitted through tick bites, characterized by fever, intoxication and bleeding. The disease belongs to a number of dangerous infectious diseases. Late hospitalization, misdiagnosis and treatment is often fatal. The mortality rate is 25%. The terms of incapacity for work are from 7 to 30 days, depending on the form of the disease.
Signs of a tick bite.
There is weakness, desire to lie down;
Chills and fever occur, possibly a rise in temperature;
Photophobia appears.
Each infection caused by a bloodsucker bite has its own characteristics:
With tick-borne encephalitis, a recurrent fever appears. The first rise in temperature is recorded 2-3 days after the bite. After two days everything is back to normal. In some cases, there is a repeated increase in temperature for 9-10 days.
Borreliosis is characterized by a fever in the middle of the disease, which is accompanied by other symptoms of infection.
With monocytic ehrlichiosis, the temperature rises 10-14 days after the tick bite and lasts about 3 weeks.
How to remove a tick?
If a tick is infected, the likelihood of contracting tick-borne encephalitis depends on the amount of virus that penetrates when the tick "bites", that is, on the time during which the tick was in a sucked state.
You should try to remove the tick alive together with the head, because in the tick's head there are salivary glands, in which viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms.
What to do first if bitten by a tick:
Treat the bite with alcohol.
If you have rubber gloves, wear
Remove the tick using one of the methods below
Method 1. With a tick twist:
bring the slit (loop) of the device under the tick along its narrow part as close to the skin as possible, then rotate the tick around its axis (like a screw) - when rotating, the spines of the proboscis twist and after 2-3 turns the tick is removed entirely.
Method 2.With a thread:
Tie a strong (synthetic) thread around the tick's head in a loop on a knot as close to the tick proboscis as possible, as close to the skin as possible, so as not to break the tick in half with the thread.
Stretching the ends of the thread to the sides with swinging-twisting movements, carefully remove the tick, pulling it slightly. Do not make sudden movements, pull slowly, without jerking and with stops.
Or, after tying the thread, twist both ends of the thread together, holding the twisted thread at an angle of 45 degrees to the bite site, start making rotational movements around the tick, slightly pulling the thread towards you:
Method 3. With tweezers:
Grab the tick with tweezers at the proboscis close to the skin without squeezing the abdomen, rotate the tick around its axis.
When using tweezers, you must act very carefully, since there is a high risk of squeezing (crushing) the tick body and introducing an infection into the wound, which will increase the risk of infection.
Way. 4 Fingers:
If none of the above is at hand, try removing the tick with your fingers.
Wear gloves, fingertips, or bandage around your fingers. Wipe your skin with rubbing alcohol. Rotate the tick around its axis alternately in one direction and the other.
After removing the tick, treat the wound with any antiseptic (iodine, brilliant green, betadine, alcohol, chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, cologne, etc.) and wash your hands thoroughly. The wound must be treated with an antiseptic every day; it is not necessary to fix it with a bandage. The wound usually heals within a week.
If the head of the tick came off during removal - if there is a head, a black dot will be visible - it must be removed. Remaining in the skin can cause inflammation and suppuration. When the tick head is torn off, the infection process can continue, since a significant concentration of tick-borne encephalitis virus can be present in the salivary glands and ducts.
To remove the torn off head, it is better to contact the nearest medical institution.
If this is not possible, the remnants of the tick can be pulled out of the wound with a sterile needle (previously calcined over a fire). After removing it, rinse the bite site with soapy water, dry and disinfect with alcohol, brilliant green, iodine or other alcohol-containing solution.
If you cannot remove the tick on your own, it is in a hard-to-reach place, or you are afraid of damaging it, contact the nearest medical institution at your location (emergency room, surgical department of the polyclinic, infectious diseases hospital, etc.).
Place the removed mite in a clean dish, in which you first place absorbent paper slightly moistened with water (filter, paper napkin, etc.) - it is important that the insect's body is in a humid environment.
Storage and delivery of ticks in compliance with these conditions is possible only within 2 days (according to some laboratories - up to 5 days). The sooner you deliver the tick, the more accurate the test will be.
What not to do:
Do not pick or press the tick with your bare hands - the infection can enter the bloodstream through microcracks in the skin.
Do not remove the tick with your teeth, in this case, infection with pathogens through the mouth is not excluded.
Do not pick out the tick with sharp objects.
The tick cannot be squeezed, dragged by the abdomen and pulled out sharply.
The tick does not need to be poured or smeared with anything.
The tick does not need to be cauterized.
Do not comb the bite site.
If a non-sucked tick is found, it is removed and destroyed.
If after a tick bite:
You did not pass the tick for analysis or, according to the results of the analysis, it turned out that the tick is a carrier of tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, or any symptoms appeared (fever, headache, weakness, malaise, etc.), it is necessary to take a blood test for tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis and other tick-borne infections, even if you feel good. Borreliosis (Lyme disease) can be asymptomatic.
Blood for tick-borne infections is submitted for analysis 10-20 days after the bite:
After 10 days - for borreliosis and encephalitis by PCR (by PCR, you can determine the presence of tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne borreliosis, granulocytic anaplasmosis, monocytic ehrlichiosis);
After 2 weeks (14 days) - for IgM antibodies against tick-borne encephalitis virus,
After 3-4 weeks (21-30 days) - for IgM antibodies against the causative agent of borreliosis.
Before taking the tests, consult with your doctor or laboratory doctor, in what time frame and what tests you need to take.
If a blood test confirms infection, it is necessary to seek treatment from a general practitioner or infectious disease specialist for diagnosis, hospitalization, treatment and medical supervision.
After the course of treatment, another blood test is performed, with a positive result, treatment is continued, and with a negative result, it is advisable to repeat the blood test after 3-6 months to exclude relapses.
If for some reason you did not donate a tick or blood for analysis, you must be observed by an infectious disease specialist within 1 month from the moment of the bite.
Also, watch how you feel: whether symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, or other infections appear.
The symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis and tick-borne borreliosis usually appear within 2 weeks after the bite. Symptoms may occur earlier and later - 1 month after infection
General symptoms: chills, fever up to 38-40, headache and body aches.
The main hallmark of borreliosis (Lyme disease) is erythema annular migrans. This is a bright red spot at the site of the bite that gradually enlarges to form rings. With borreliosis, erytherma may not form, but proceed with symptoms similar to tick-borne encephalitis.
Borreliosis is very well treated in the early stages, in advanced cases it becomes difficult to cure.
In case of any deterioration in health, immediately contact a medical institution for examination and possible subsequent treatment.
Prevention of tick bites.
The main and main measure to prevent diseases transmitted by bloodsuckers is vaccination. The exercise significantly reduces the risk of infection after tick bites.
Primary vaccination is permitted from an early age.
There are two options for vaccination:
Preventive vaccination. Helps to protect against a tick bite within a year, and after additional vaccination - at least 3 years. Revaccinations are carried out every three years.
Emergency vaccination. Allows you to protect yourself from tick bites for a short time. For example, such a procedure will be necessary for an urgent trip to regions with high tick-borne activity.
How to protect yourself from a tick bite?
Going to an unfavorable area, you should choose clothes in light colors:
A shirt or jacket with cuffs and a tight collar, trousers tucked into boots;
Anti-encephalitis suit;
Thick drawstring hood protects ears and neck from ticks;
It is advisable to treat clothes with insecticidal agents.
When providing first aid for a tick bite, you cannot:
When a tick bites, you cannot panic and stay inactive, as you can make mistakes, which will then respond with undesirable consequences. The likelihood of infection after each specific bite is not so great, so you should treat tick attacks calmly, but do everything to minimize the risk of infection.
Disease carriers are most often ixodid ticks
General information about ticks
Ticks are characterized by seasonality. The first cases of attacks are recorded in early spring, when the air temperature rises above 0 0 C, and the last - in autumn. Peak bites are observed from April to July.
Bloodsuckers do not like bright sun and wind, so they watch for their prey in humid, not too shady places, in dense grass and bushes. Most often found in ravines, at the edges of forests, along the edges of paths or in parks.
Tick attack and bite
The tick gnaws at the skin with the help of a hypostome (mouth apparatus) dotted along the edges with growths facing back. This structure of the organ helps the bloodsucker to stay firmly in the tissues of the host.
With borreliosis, a tick bite looks like focal erythema up to 20-50 cm in diameter. The form of inflammation is most often correct, with a bright red outer border. After a day, the center of erythema turns pale and acquires a bluish tint, a crust appears and soon the site of the bite is scarred. After 10-14 days, there is no trace of the lesion.
Signs of a tick bite
- there is weakness, a desire to lie down;
- chills and fever occur, possibly an increase in temperature;
- photophobia appears.
Attention. In people of this group, symptoms can be supplemented by low blood pressure, increased heart rate, itching, headache and enlargement of nearby lymph nodes.
In rare cases, there is difficulty in breathing and hallucinations.
Temperature after a bite as a symptom of the disease
Each infection caused by a bloodsucker bite has its own characteristics:
- With tick-borne encephalitis, a recurrent fever appears. The first rise in temperature is recorded 2-3 days after the bite. After two days everything is back to normal. In some cases, there is a repeated rise in temperature for 9-10 days.
- Borreliosis is characterized by a fever in the middle of the disease, which is accompanied by other symptoms of infection.
- With monocytic ehrlichiosis, the temperature rises 10-14 days after the tick bite and lasts about 3 weeks.
Almost all diseases transmitted by bloodsuckers are accompanied by fever.
Rules of conduct for a tick bite
So what to do if bitten by a tick? First of all, it is necessary to remove the bloodsucker as soon as possible. This should be done slowly and carefully so as not to damage it and not provoke infection. Do not use gasoline, nail polish or other chemicals. Vegetable oil or fat will not help either. Better to use effective and proven methods.
Removing a tick with a thread
The method is simple, but requires a lot of dexterity and patience. It will be useful when extracting large specimens. For the procedure to be successful, it is recommended to do the following:
Removing the tick with a thread
The removed bloodsucker must be placed in a glass container with a tight lid and taken to the laboratory for research.
Removing the tick with tweezers
Attention. Tweezers during removal of the bloodsucker must be kept strictly parallel or perpendicular to the skin.
Tick twists
Tick twists are very effective
Other ways to remove a tick
- Wrap your fingers with a handkerchief or gauze to make it easier to hold the tick.
- Grab it at the very border with the skin and pull it out with gentle twisting movements.
- Disinfect the wound or rinse with water.
If for some reason the tick cannot be saved for analysis, it should be destroyed by pouring boiling water or burning it on fire.
Attention. If you cannot remove the bloodsucker yourself, you need to contact the nearest emergency room.
Medical workers will provide first aid for a tick bite: they will professionally remove it and send it for research, disinfect the wound and tell you how to proceed. The doctor will definitely inform you what symptoms should be paid attention to in the next month.
What to do after removing the tick?
In people who are prone to allergies, a tick bite can cause a strong response from the body. Often, swelling of the face develops, there is difficulty in breathing and muscle pain... In this case, it is necessary:
- give the victim antihistamine: Suprastin, Claritin, Zyrtec;
- provide access fresh air, unbutton clothes;
- call an ambulance.
All other diagnostic and therapeutic measures are carried out only in a hospital setting.
Disease testing of the tick is recommended as soon as possible.
If the tick could not be kept alive, for early diagnosis of the disease, it is recommended to donate blood for the detection of immunoglobulins for infections. The analysis is carried out quickly, the result is usually ready in 5-6 hours. If there was a vaccination, when donating blood, you must indicate its date. The presence of vaccine antibodies can be confusing to healthcare providers.
Diseases caused by tick bites
Encephalitis and borreliosis are the most common tick bite diseases
For Russia, the most significant diseases from a tick bite are tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme borreliosis and zoonotic infections. Let's consider them in a little more detail.
Attention. Infection with the virus occurs through a tick bite. Often, the transmission of the pathogen by the alimentary route is recorded - through infected cow or goat milk that has not been boiled.
The asymptomatic course of the disease is very common and can reach 85–90% in some foci. Prolonged sucking significantly increases the risk of pronounced forms of pathology. The virus tolerates low temperatures well, but dies rather quickly when heated to 80 ° C.
Tick-borne encephalitis infection is seasonal. The first peak of the disease occurs in May-June, the second is recorded in August - early September.
During a bite, the pathogen immediately enters the blood of a person through the salivary glands of the tick, where it is in the highest concentration. After a few hours, the virus enters the victim's central nervous system, and after 2 days it can be detected in the brain tissues. The incubation period of encephalitis with a tick bite is 14–21 days, with infection through milk - no more than a week.
Tick-borne encephalitis symptoms
Most of the victims have an asymptomatic form of infection, and only 5% have a pronounced form. Tick-borne encephalitis most often begins suddenly with the following symptoms:
- body temperature increased to 39-40 ° C;
- Strong headache;
- sleep disturbance;
- nausea, up to vomiting;
- diarrhea;
- redness of the skin of the face and upper body;
- weakness, decreased performance.
Such symptoms are characteristic of the febrile form of the disease, which disappears after 5 days. The defeat of the central nervous system in this case is absent.
Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis - this is what a person looks like after a tick bite
The meningeal and meningoencephalitic forms of pathology are much more difficult. The patient complains of lethargy, apathy and drowsiness. Hallucinations, delirium, impaired consciousness, convulsions similar to epileptic seizures appear. The meningoencephalitic form can be fatal, which for recent years very rare.
Periodic muscle twitching indicates peripheral nerve damage. A polyradiculoneuritic form of encephalitis develops, in which general sensitivity is impaired. With the polioencephalomyelitis form of the disease, paresis of the arms and legs is observed.
Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis)
Distributed in the northern regions of Russia. The pathogen enters the human bloodstream when bitten by ixodid ticks and can persist in the body for years. The first symptoms of the disease include:
- headache;
- temperature rise to 38-39 ° C;
- tiredness, weakness and apathy.
1-3 weeks after the tick bite, a seal and annular erythema appear at the site of suction, which can reach 20-50 cm in diameter.
Circular erythema is the main symptom of borreliosis
Attention. Despite the fact that a few weeks after the bite, the red spot disappears without a trace, it is necessary to carry out an analysis for the presence of the causative agent of Lyme borreliosis, since the disease has serious complications and can be transmitted from a pregnant woman to a child.
Often the central nervous system, heart, muscles and ligaments, joints and organs of vision are involved in the pathological process. Late diagnosis and untimely therapy can lead to chronicity of borreliosis, which often ends in disability.
Ehrlichiosis
The disease is also transmitted by ixodid ticks. Deer are considered the main reservoir of Ehrlichia, dogs and horses are the intermediate ones.
Ehrlichiosis can be asymptomatic, so clinically bright, up to death. Common signs of illness include:
- fever;
- increased sweating;
- weakness, drowsiness;
- nausea up to vomiting;
- rigor.
In the acute phase of ehrlichiosis, anemia is observed, a decrease in the level of platelets and leukocytes in the blood.
Recurrent tick-borne typhus
The infection is usually registered in the south of Russia, in Armenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. The disease always occurs suddenly and begins with a bubble at the site of the tick bite. Then to skin manifestations other symptoms are added:
- fever;
- increased body temperature;
- joint aches;
- nausea and vomiting;
- headache.
Gradually, the bubble becomes bright red, a pronounced rash appears on the patient's body, the liver enlarges, the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow.
Tick-borne typhus rash
The disease is wavy in nature. The acute phase usually lasts from 3 to 5 days, then the victim's condition returns to normal, the temperature decreases. After a few days, everything is repeated anew. There can be many such attacks. Each subsequent course is less pronounced.
Coxiellosis
It is one of the most common zoonotic infections in the world. The carrier of the disease can be both farm animals and wild animals. One of the distributors of the pathogen is a tick, most often ixodid. It is able to preserve rickettsia in the body long time and pass them on to offspring. The first symptoms appear 5-30 days after the tick bite:
- increased sweating;
- high temperature;
- dry, debilitating cough;
- loss of appetite;
- redness of the face and upper body;
- migraines, weakness and drowsiness.
Quite often, KU-fever is accompanied by pneumonia, back pain and muscle pain. The temperature in the first days of the disease can change several times during the day. Such a disease is treated only in a hospital setting, therapy lends itself well and recovery occurs quickly. Complications are rare; the outcome of the disease is most often favorable. A person who has had coxiellosis develops strong immunity.
Treatment of victims of a tick bite
If a tick has bitten and the test results show an infection, the patient is given immunotherapy on the basis of a doctor's prescription. Further treatment depends on the type of pathogen that has entered the body.
Treatment of patients with tick-borne encephalitis
To date, there are no specific methods for treating tick-borne encephalitis. When signs of damage to the central nervous system appear, the victim must be hospitalized to provide him with medical care. The therapy regimen includes:
- Bed rest for the entire duration of the fever and for a week after its end.
- In the first days of the disease, the administration of immunoglobulin is indicated. For achievement best result it is necessary to apply the remedy as early as possible, preferably in the first three days after the tick bite.
- In general cases, the patient is prescribed corticosteroid drugs, blood substitutes.
- With meningitis, increased doses of vitamins B and C are administered.
- If the respiratory functions deteriorate, the victim is shown artificial ventilation.
During the recovery period, the patient is prescribed nootropics, tranquilizers and testosterone simulators.
Antibiotics may be prescribed as an adjunct to the main treatment for the bite victim. Antimicrobial drugs used to suppress pathogenic microflora that can cause various complications.
Therapy for patients with borreliosis
Treatment for Lyme borreliosis involves taking antibiotics. They are used to suppress spirochetes, the causative agents of the disease. The most commonly used drugs are the penicillin series and cephalosporins. To stop erythema, appoint antimicrobial agents tetracycline group.
Antibiotics are used to treat borreliosis
When neurological disorders appear, the victim is hospitalized. In the hospital, complex therapy is carried out, including:
- blood substitutes;
- corticosteroids;
- testosterone imitators;
- nootropic drugs to improve cerebral circulation;
- vitamin complexes.
The outcome of borreliosis depends on the timeliness of detection of a tick bite, correct setting diagnosis and early start therapy. Illiterate treatment often leads to a chronic phase of Lyme disease, which can be stopped with great difficulty and can result in disability or death of the victim.
Attention. For the treatment of infections of a protozoal nature, drugs are used that exclude further growth and development of protozoa.
Complications after a tick bite
Summarizing all of the above, one can draw a very disappointing conclusion about the consequences of a tick bite. As you can see, infections affect the most important systems organism:
- lungs - with the development of symptoms of pneumonia and pulmonary bleeding;
- liver - there is a violation of digestion, problems with stools (diarrhea);
- CNS - with frequent headaches, hallucinations, paresis and paralysis;
- cardiovascular system - arrhythmia appears, blood pressure jumps;
- joints - arthritis and arthralgias are formed.
The consequences of a tick bite can develop in two ways. With a favorable outcome, the loss of working capacity, weakness and lethargy continue for 2-3 months, then all body functions are normalized.
With an ailment of moderate severity, recovery lasts up to six months or longer. A serious form of the disease requires a rehabilitation period of up to 2-3 years, provided that the disease proceeded without paralysis and paresis.
In case of an unfavorable outcome, there is a persistent and long-term (or permanent) decrease in the quality of life of the person affected by the tick bite. It manifests itself as a violation of motor function. Clinical picture significantly worsens under the influence of nervous and physical fatigue, pregnancy, regular alcohol intake.
Persistent disorders in the form of epileptic manifestations and spontaneous convulsions lead to the disability of the patient.
Disability as a consequence of a tick bite
As you know, there are 3 groups of disabilities. The degree of damage to the body after a tick bite is determined by a special medical commission:
- Disability of the III group - mild paresis of the arms and legs, rare epileptic seizures, inability to perform highly qualified work that requires precision and attention.
- Disability of the II group - bright paresis of the limbs, partial muscle paresis, severe epilepsy with mental changes, asthenic syndrome, loss of the ability to self-service.
- Disability of group I - acquired dementia, severe impairment of motor function, persistent and complete epilepsy, widespread muscle paresis, loss of self-control and inability to move independently.
In especially severe cases, with inadequate treatment of infections caused by a tick bite or the complete absence of therapy, a lethal outcome is possible.
Prevention of tick bites
The main and main measure to prevent diseases transmitted by bloodsuckers is vaccination. The exercise significantly reduces the risk of infection after tick bites. Vaccination is necessary for people living in epidemiologically dangerous areas or people whose work is related to forestry.
Vaccination is the main preventive measure for diseases caused by tick bites
Advice. Despite the limited risk group, the vaccine is best done for everyone. After all, it is not known where "lucky" to meet a tick.
Primary vaccination is permitted from an early age. Adults can use domestic and imported drugs, children can use only imported ones. You should not buy the vaccine yourself and bring it to the vaccination room. They won't drive her anyway. The drug requires very strict storage rules, adherence to a certain temperature and light regime, which cannot be done at home. Therefore, it makes no sense to purchase an expensive drug and store it in the refrigerator.
There are two options for vaccination:
- Preventive vaccination. Helps to protect against a tick bite within a year, and after additional vaccination - at least 3 years. Revaccinations are carried out every three years.
- Emergency vaccination. Allows you to protect yourself from tick bites for a short time. For example, such a procedure will be necessary for an urgent trip to regions with high tick-borne activity. While in epidemiologically dangerous areas, it is recommended to take iodantipyrine.
The introduction of the vaccine is carried out only after a detailed questioning, visual inspection and temperature measurement. Persons with inflammatory diseases are not vaccinated until complete recovery.
How to protect yourself from a tick bite?
Going to an unfavorable area, you should choose clothes in light colors:
- a shirt or jacket with cuffs and a tight collar, trousers tucked into boots;
- antiencephalitis suit;
- Thick hood with ties to protect the ears and neck from ticks;
- it is advisable to treat clothes with insecticidal agents.
The best way do not "meet" a tick - strictly observe all preventive measures
To repel ticks, special insecticidal products based on DEET are produced, but the repellents are not effective enough and require application every 2 hours. They can be treated with open areas of the body and clothing.
Acaricides are more effective. The drugs are used for contact killing of ticks. They can only handle outerwear worn over underwear.
Attention. Often on sale there are acaricides for application to the skin. However, they should be used very carefully. A severe allergic reaction and poisoning are possible.
Tick-borne encephalitis insurance
Recently, the insurance of expenses associated with a possible illness of encephalitis after a “meeting” with a tick has become widespread. Such a measure is often used as an adjunct to vaccination or as an independent measure.
Tick bite treatment costs insurance won't hurt anyone
The insurance will help pay for expensive treatment for tick-borne encephalitis and other infections carried by bloodsuckers.
Attention. The article is for reference only. Competent diagnosis and treatment of diseases is possible only under the supervision of a specialist.
Most complex measures first aid for tick-borne encephalitis is required in regions with a severe tick-borne encephalitis epidemiological situation, that is, where the likelihood of contracting the tick-borne encephalitis virus is greatest. This is primarily Siberia - Irkutsk, Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk regions, as well as Altai and Far East... Also, permanent foci of circulation of the virus and cases of infection are recorded in the Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions, the Baltic countries, in Belarus, the Transcarpathian region of Ukraine. Here, in addition to the simplest steps to remove the tick, you also need to go to the hospital for special tests.
Why is it so important to provide first aid to the injured person in time for a tick bite?
The second reason why an injured person may need urgent help is allergies. In general, it rarely occurs on tick bites and almost never threatens life-threatening conditions. Nevertheless, there is a risk of severe course of it, and first aid is designed to minimize it.
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to destroy infectious agents that have already entered the body with a tick bite (if they have already entered the body) with first aid measures. With some probability, you can immediately eliminate borreliosis infection if you take an effective antibiotic, but in practice, borreliosis is safer and easier to cure if diagnosed in the early stages at the first symptoms, rather than insuring against it with antibiotics, which can often cause severe side effects.
Therefore, you need to understand well that in a real situation it will not be possible to protect the victim from infection with 100% reliability by only providing him with first aid.
The very same sequence in providing such assistance is relatively simple.
Step 1. Remove the tick
This is the main thing to do when a sucked tick is found. It is pointless to take any other measures if the tick continues to suck blood.
On a note
In the same way, you need to remove ticks from the skin of your dog or cat. In veterinary practice, diseases carried by ticks are very relevant, although they differ from those in humans. In general, the rules for protecting animals are the same as for humans.
The photo below shows the so-called forest mite, just removed from the skin:
If you don't panic and fuss, then even without special devices with nails of normal length, it is quite possible to remove the tick from the skin so as not to tear off its head. However, it is even more effective and safer when walking in nature to stop every 20-30 minutes, lift the legs and examine the legs under them. So it will be possible to detect ticks that have just grabbed onto the skin and remove them even before they begin to suck blood.
Step 2. Treat the bite site
This step is required in order to somewhat mitigate the skin's reaction to the bite and components of the tick's saliva, as well as partially disinfect the wound. However, the effectiveness and importance of such treatment should not be overestimated - local treatment of a tick bite is not a reliable prevention of infection. However, sometimes it can prevent the bite from developing a blister and protect the damaged tissue and exposure to additional infectious agents from the environment.
To disinfect the wound, after washing it with soap and water, it is treated with antiseptics (alcohol, alcohol solution of iodine, Miramistin) or natural preparations - celandine juice, for example. Due to the small diameter of the hole, the wound from the bite quickly tightens, practically does not bleed and is protected from secondary infection.
To weaken unpleasant symptoms the bite site is usually lubricated with ointments with anti-inflammatory components (hydrocortisone, Advantan, Pimafukort, Flucinar).
On a note
If a progressive and rapidly spreading rash appears on the skin near a wound or on any other part of the body after a tick attack, the victim needs to take some antihistamine- Suprastin, Loratadin, Ebastin or others. This point is especially important, since immediately after a tick bite, it is the hypersensitivity reactions that pose the greatest danger to the patient, despite their relative rarity.
If the rash is very profuse and becomes hives-like, it is necessary to promptly induce Ambulance without waiting for further deterioration of the victim's condition (this can happen quickly).
At this stage, in fact, first aid comes to an end. All other means and methods are available only in specialized medical institutions and emergency care do not apply - they can be carried out within the next 3-4 days after the tick bite. But it is also useful to know about them, since it is the victim who must take the initiative in their application.
Step 3. Conduct emergency prevention of tick-borne encephalitis
Emergency prevention of tick-borne encephalitis consists in the introduction of specific immunoglobulin preparations into the victim's body, which, by binding to viral particles, inactivates them, prevents their spread in the body and most likely stops the development of the disease.
It is important that the injection of immunoglobulin is able to prevent the development of tick-borne encephalitis just after the bite, comparing favorably with the anti-encephalitis vaccine (the latter must be administered just before the pathogen enters the body). Emergency prophylaxis completes its tasks within 4 days after the bite, but it is better to seek it within the first two days.
It is interesting
The effectiveness of such prevention of tick-borne encephalitis (especially correctly and on time) is very high. Depending on the region, 93-95% of people who receive an immunoglobulin injection from a tick bite do not develop encephalitis. This does not mean that the effectiveness of the agent is of the same magnitude - after all, not every tick is a carrier of the virus, and not even every bite of an infected tick leads to the development of the disease. Plus, the agent is often introduced too late, and often in areas endemic for one strain of the virus, immunoglobulins are used against other strains (for example, an Austrian drug is used in Siberia). Nevertheless, the security indicator still remains quite high and allows us to consider this method as the most reliable protection affected by the development of a dangerous disease.
Such prevention is carried out in most public clinics and hospitals located in areas with a high epidemiological danger of tick-borne encephalitis. However, in reality, its implementation may be associated with various difficulties: different institutions are supplied with drugs to varying degrees, in some periods, due to the influx of victims, the reserves of immunoglobulin are quickly depleted, and in some places it is very difficult to get to the doctor simply because of poor organization. In addition, today the production of immunoglobulins is sharply reduced abroad, where the frequency of tick-borne encephalitis has significantly decreased, and the drug itself is constantly becoming more expensive.
At the same time, it is impossible to buy immunoglobulin on your own and give yourself an injection - drugs of this action are distributed only in medical institutions and are subject to strict accounting.
Therefore, at this step, you need to come to a state medical institution as soon as possible and try to give an injection of immunoglobulin. It is not very cheap due to high cost the drug itself.
The administration of immunoglobulin is required only once. After each subsequent bite, these injections should be repeated, although the immunoglobulins themselves remain active in the body for several months.
On a note
You can also find recommendations for taking iodantipyrine with a tick bite - as an antiviral and prophylactic, however, the validity of its application is ambiguous. The tool has not passed full-fledged clinical trials, and its effectiveness has not been confirmed. In any case, it can be taken only in accordance with the instructions for use, taking into account all contraindications and possible side effects.
It is only important that the tick was alive - body fragments for the presence of antigens can not be examined in every laboratory, and such a study itself is longer and more complicated.
Step 4. Conduct emergency prevention of borreliosis
Similar to the prevention of tick-borne encephalitis, emergency prevention of Lyme disease consists in the introduction into the victim's body of drugs that can suppress the activity and spread of the pathogen. These are mainly antibiotics of the penicillin and tetracyclin groups.
However, the need for such actions is not as clear as in the case of tick-borne encephalitis. The fact is that even after the appearance of obvious diagnostic signs, borreliosis is relatively easy to treat, and the likelihood of infection by it with a tick bite is very small. But its specific prevention requires the use of antibiotics, which can sometimes cause unwanted side effects.
Simply put, both the prevention and treatment of borreliosis are carried out by the same means and are approximately equally effective. Moreover, even without preventive measures tick-borne borreliosis develops in only about 2% of bitten people - this casts some doubt on the need to prevent borreliosis with each tick bite.
On a note
The photo below shows a tick drinking blood:
For really effective assistance it is important not only to know what measures should be taken in case of a tick attack, but also to understand what not to do in order not to harm the victim. Sometimes, inappropriate first aid actions can even increase the risk of contracting diseases carried by ticks.
For example, you cannot:
In general, as in any situation, when a tick bites you should not panic and stay inactive, as you can make mistakes, which will then respond with undesirable consequences.
It is useful to bear in mind that in other areas, hunters and fishermen are bitten by dozens of ticks every day, and no serious consequences from this happen. The likelihood of infection after each specific bite is not so great, so you should treat tick attacks calmly, but do everything to minimize the risk of infection.
What to do next?
When first aid has already been provided, you need to closely monitor the condition of the victim for several months.
Lyme disease is characterized by the fact that with timely diagnosis and the beginning of treatment, it heals quickly enough, and therefore it is important not to miss the beginning of the manifestation of its first symptoms. Tick-borne encephalitis, as a viral disease, requires much more complex therapy, but here, too, timely diagnosis plays an important role in the success of treatment.
The incubation period for infection with tick-borne encephalitis lasts from 4 to 16 days, and for infection with Lyme borrelia - 1-2 weeks (but sometimes much longer, up to several months). In children, the duration of the incubation period of these diseases is somewhat shorter than in adults - the parents are responsible for monitoring the child's condition.
Therefore, after a tick bite for at least 1-2 months, you need to pay Special attention on the following symptoms in the victim:
- Fever, fever are characteristic of both diseases;
- Pain in the head, impaired coordination of movements, frequent dizziness, clouding of consciousness are signs of encephalitis and, to a lesser extent, borreliosis;
- The appearance of erythema migrans - a characteristic redness at the site of the bite, around which a "ring" separated from it appears. This is the main and most obvious symptom of Lyme disease;
- Cough and runny nose, neck stiffness.
