What diseases are transmitted by ticks? Diseases from ticks in humans and their danger

Russia is one of the world's largest habitats infectious diseases transmitted by ticks. Every year, several hundred thousand patients consult doctors of various specialties about a tick bite.

It is known that ticks serve as carriers of a number of human diseases (table), the causative agents of which are viruses, bacteria and protozoa.

In addition to the diseases listed in the table, several others can be transmitted by ticks, including tularemia and coxiellosis (Q fever).

All of the above diseases have some common features: natural focality, seasonality (usually spring-summer), transmission of the pathogen to humans by ixodid ticks during blood sucking, acute onset of the disease, fever, symptoms of intoxication, signs of damage to the nervous system, various skin rashes.

During the act of blood sucking, the tick injects painkillers, vasodilators and other substances into the human skin, and with them pathogens that are found in the intestines and salivary glands of the ticks. Tick ​​suction usually does not cause pain and goes unnoticed. The most favorite locations for ticks are the neck, armpits, chest and groin folds. A tick that has drunk blood enlarges tenfold, taking the form of a dense gray or light ball.

About 25% of sick people do not indicate tick suction: it occurs either within a short period of time, or in an area of ​​the body that is difficult to detect.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE)- the most common and severe epidemic encephalitis in Russia and many European countries. Among diseases caused by arboviruses, TBE occupies one of the leading positions.

Natural foci of TBE have been registered in all forest and taiga zones of Russia. The incidence of TBE is especially high in the Urals, the Urals and Siberia. The Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions are endemic for TBE. In 2008, for the first time in many years, in several districts of the Moscow region, individual ticks were infected with the TBE virus.

Human infection with TBE can occur not only during tick bites, but also through the nutritional route when consuming raw goat or cow milk.

Incubation period- from 5 to 25 days, with alimentary infection it is shortened to 2-3 days.

With EC, the number of manifest forms correlates with the number of subclinical (asymptomatic) forms by 1:100-200 or more. Analysis of the genomic structures of all the main currently known strains of the TBE virus made it possible to identify three main genotypes of the virus, one of which corresponds to the Far East, the second to the West, and the third includes strains classified as the Ural-Siberian variant. Some researchers believe that there is a certain connection between the clinical manifestations of TBE and the genotype of the pathogen.

Since the beginning of the study of CE, based on clinical and laboratory studies, the following have been distinguished: feverish(erased), meningeal And focal, or paralytic, form of the disease.

The main share in the structure of EC is occupied by febrile and meningeal forms. They account for 80 to 90 percent or more of diseases. These are generally quite benign, mostly self-limiting forms that do not require special treatment. In extremely rare cases - hundredths and thousandths of a percent - their transition to a chronic, progressive form is observed. CE is encephalomyelitis, i.e. combined damage not only to the brain, but also spinal cord.

Any form of TBE begins acutely, with chills, a rapid increase in body temperature to high numbers, severe headache, and myalgia. Photophobia and pain in the eyeballs are possible. Patients are usually lethargic, drowsy, and less often excited. When examining them, attention is drawn to hyperemia of the skin of the face, neck, upper body and mucous membrane of the oropharynx, scleritis, and conjunctivitis. General hyperesthesia is characteristic.

Feverish the form is limited to the symptoms described above; the duration of the febrile period ranges from several hours to 5-6 days; two-wave fever is possible. After stable normalization of body temperature, the patients’ condition improves, but asthenic syndrome may persist for another 2-3 weeks.

At meningeal In addition to the symptom complex inherent in the febrile form, meningeal syndrome is added: vomiting at the height of the headache, severe general hyperesthesia, stiffness of the neck muscles, pain when pressing on the eyeballs, symptoms of Kernig, Brudzinski, etc. Sometimes focal neurological symptoms can be identified transiently: facial asymmetry, anisocoria, nystagmus, etc. When lumbar puncture cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks under high blood pressure, transparent, sometimes opalescent. Pleocytosis ranges from several tens to several hundred cells, in the first days it can be neutrophilic, then lymphocytic; the protein content in the CSF is moderately increased, glucose is normal; these data indicate the development of serous meningitis.

Fever lasts up to two weeks, changes in the CSF persist for a relatively long time: from several weeks to several months. During the convalescence period, asthenovegetative syndrome is present for a long time.

Focal (paralytic) the form differs from the two described above in the severity of the course and high mortality. Against the background of fever, general infectious and meningeal syndromes, general cerebral symptoms appear in the form of impaired consciousness, motor agitation, and seizures (generalized tonic-clonic or focal).

Features inherent only to EC are the presence of severe damage to the nervous system in the form of upper poliomyelitis: paresis and paralysis of the upper shoulder girdle(neck and proximal areas upper limbs- “floppy head” syndrome), a combination of central and peripheral paresis: muscle atrophy and high reflexes.

Another feature of CE is the development in some patients of Kozhevnikov epilepsy syndrome - a severe condition in the form of constant muscle contractions in one half of the body - myoclonus, periodically aggravated by generalized epileptic convulsions. A unique feature of CE is the transition of the disease in some patients into a chronic, progressive process, ending in death.

Frequency of TBE in Russia from 1974 to 1999. increased by 7 times, which is associated with the deterioration of acaricidal treatment of disadvantaged areas, a decrease in the level of vaccination, deterioration of the environmental situation, climate change, greater contact with forests, social factors: deterioration of the material level of the population, etc.

According to materials from domestic epidemiologists, in different natural foci, depending on specific environmental conditions, taiga tick populations can contain up to 5-10% of adult individuals simultaneously infected with Borrelia and the TBE virus. Up to 60% of meningoencephalitis in Western Siberia associated with tick bites is caused by a combined infection of the tick-borne encephalitis virus and B. burgdorferi .

Currently, there is no radical treatment for paralytic lesions in TBE, which makes these forms of the disease similar to polio.

The only real method of preventing the development of severe disabling and fatal consequences with TBE remains prevention - the introduction of a vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis. In recent years, the production of anti-tick immunoglobulin has been discontinued in Europe (previously it was used there only for preventive purposes), which is argued by the danger of antibody-dependent enhancement of the infectious process and the lack of evidence-based methods indicating its positive effect. In Russia, immunoglobulin has been and is used for preventive and therapeutic purposes. For treatment, immunoglobulin against TBE is administered intramuscularly; doses and administration schedules depend on the clinical form.

Another tick-borne disease is ixodic tick-borne borreliosis - ITB(synonyms: Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne erythema, systemic tick-borne borreliosis) is a widespread infectious natural focal, bacterial disease with transmissible transmission, often taking a chronic, relapsing course and affecting a number of body systems. In 1982, American researcher W. Burgdorfer discovered a previously unknown species of Borrelia in the intestines of ticks, which received its name from the name of the author who first discovered it. ICD has been known as an independent nosological form since 1984, when a connection between a new species of Borrelia and the disease it causes was discovered.

ITB diseases are widespread in the eastern and western hemispheres. Cases of the disease are reported in the USA, Canada, almost throughout Europe (except for the Benelux countries and the Iberian Peninsula), Russia, Mongolia, Northern China, Japan and other countries. According to calculations by domestic epidemiologists, every year in our country the number of cases reaches 10-11 thousand people. This figure is probably underestimated, because in Germany, a country with a smaller population and a more favorable epidemiological situation than Russia, the annual number of cases is about 60 thousand people, in the USA - more than 13 thousand people.

The causative agent of ICD, B. burgdorferi, belongs to the family of spirochetes, is isolated from tick vectors, and in patients with ITB from the zone of erythema that develops at the site of tick suction, from the blood, CSF, synovial fluid in Lyme arthritis, etc.

The bulk of diseases are observed in the spring-summer period (April-June), but the season of incidence can shift significantly depending on weather conditions - the earlier the warm period comes, the faster ticks awaken and become more active, and therefore more often they attack humans. The first peak of incidence occurs in the spring-summer period. The second is at the end of summer, beginning of autumn (August-October).

Getting into the general bloodstream with the tick saliva, borrelia spread throughout the body, settling in various organs(brain, heart, joints, eyes, liver) and causing inflammatory changes in them. This acute organ damage resulting from dissemination of infection characterizes the second stage of ICD.

Months or years after the end of the dissemination phase of the infection, new symptoms may develop, which mark the third stage of ICD - the stage of chronic organ damage or a period of persistent infection.

In accordance with the periods of infection and the signs of their clinical manifestation, three stages of the disease are distinguished: the first - local infection, the second - disseminated infection (acute organ damage) and the third - persistent infection (chronic organ damage). To classify the disease as the third stage of ICD, the duration of inflammatory changes in the affected organ must be at least 6 months. The sequence of organ damage described above is the exception rather than the rule, and it is rare to see the above-described chronological progression of one stage after another in a patient with ICD. More often there are manifestations of one or two stages of the disease in one patient. Thus, a patient with symptoms of the second stage of ICD may not have manifestations of local infection, or the third stage of ICD may manifest itself without acute damage in the first two phases of the disease.

Like other spirochetoses, ICD is a systemic disease that develops in stages corresponding to the chronology of the affected organs. The main organs involved in the disease are: skin, nervous system, heart and joints. The stages of the disease are determined by clinical signs of predominant involvement of the affected organ, if the time of onset of the disease is known, or by the duration of the disease, if there is no precise indication of initial period diseases. ICD can occur with a sequential alternation of all stages of the disease, with the “skipping” of one of the stages or with a primary manifestation at any stage.

At the local stage, the incubation period of the disease ranges from 1 to 30 days, averaging 7-10 days. The onset of the disease in the vast majority is gradual. A spot or papule appears at the site of tick suction. This initial redness expands and increases in size over several days, forming into an erythema with an average diameter of 10-15 cm (range from 3-5 to 70 cm). Erythema can occur in any part of the body, but is more common on the trunk, thighs, or axillary areas.

Erythema is one of the characteristic pathognomonic signs of ICD and is the “gold standard” for diagnosing the disease. Due to its inherent property of increasing in size, it is called “tick-borne erythema migrans.” Erythema may be the only sign of the acute period, but more often it is accompanied by other symptoms of the disease: regional lymphadenopathy, malaise, weakness, myalgia, arthralgia, respiratory manifestations, fever up to 37-38 ° C, rarely higher; chills, headache, nausea and vomiting. In some patients, the disease may end at this stage and the erythema may disappear spontaneously. In another part, the erythema persists for weeks and even months, and against its background signs of damage to other organs appear.

The second stage of the disease (disseminated infection) is characterized by acute organ damage to the nervous system (neuroborreliosis); internal organs (heart, joints, liver) and the organ of vision (ophthalmic borreliosis). The second stage of ICD develops 2-10 weeks after the acute period. Neurological manifestations of ICD are quite varied, but most researchers point to the three most common types of lesions of the nervous system: radiculoneuritis, neuritis of the cranial (facial) nerves and meningitis. In half or more cases, a combination of these lesion syndromes is observed, manifested in various symptom complexes. Cardiac disorders are observed from 4-5 weeks of the appearance of erythema. They include grade 1-3 changes in atrioventricular conduction, intraventricular conduction disturbances, atrial fibrillation and others. The duration of cardiac disorders is short and does not exceed several weeks. Serious abnormalities such as dilated cardiomyopathy and fatal pancarditis are also observed.

In contrast to the often spontaneously resolving first two stages of ICD, its third stage (chronic organ pathology) is characterized by a chronic, inflammatory, destructive process that affects the skin, joints and nervous system. In case of tick-borne erythema in acute period disease, the interval between erythema and the onset of neurological symptoms is usually 4-12 months.

The main forms of the third stage of ICD are considered to be: neuroborreliosis (progressive encephalomyelitis; cerebrovascular neuroborreliosis; mono- or polyneuritis), combined with chronic atrophic acrodermatitis (CAA); dermatoborreliosis (CAA, benign lymphadenosis of the skin); mono- and polyarthritis.

Serological testing for the presence of antibodies to B. burgdorferi. The most commonly used reactions are: indirect fluorescent antibody method (IFA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunoblot. Early IgM antibodies to B. burgdorferi They begin to appear no earlier than 2-3 weeks of the disease, so at the erythema stage they are practically not found and it is not advisable to conduct a serological examination during this period. IgM antibodies usually disappear quickly, but can persist for a long time. They are replaced by IgG antibodies, which appear at 3-4 weeks of ICD and persist for months or years. Unfortunately, serological tests for ITB are not standardized. The presence of antibodies to Borrelia confirms infection B. burgdorferi, but is not an absolute criterion for the active or inactive phases of the disease. A number of researchers point to the molecular polymorphism of pathogen genotypes, manifested in the heterogeneity of surface proteins B. burgdorferi, which entails difficulties in the serodiagnosis of ITB.

ICD is treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. They are prescribed orally in the erythema stage and parenterally intravenously for neuroborreliosis and CAA in the second and third stages of ICD.

In the first stage, etiotropic treatment is carried out with doxycycline in a daily dose of 0.2 g; The drugs of choice are amoxicillin (0.5 g 3 times a day), azithromycin (0.5 g/day). The duration of treatment is from 10 days to a month. In the second and third stages, the main drug is ceftriaxone (2 g/day), it is possible to use cefotaxime and massive doses of penicillin. The duration of treatment is 2 weeks.

Tick-borne spotted fevers

The group of tick-borne spotted fever (TSF) includes a number of naturally focal, vector-borne diseases caused by rickettsia, including the well-known ones (Marseilles or Mediterranean fever, spotted fever Rocky Mountains, tick-borne typhus of North Asia, vesicular rickettsiosis, etc.), and recently first described (Japanese and Israeli spotted fevers, African fever tick bite), including in our country - Astrakhan spotted fever and Far Eastern tick-borne rickettsiosis.

This list continues to grow, new representatives of Rickettsia are being discovered, and previously unknown diseases are being described.

In Russia, natural foci of LP are widespread. Tick-borne typhus of North Asia (causative agent Rickettsia sibirica) are registered in Western and Eastern Siberia, Altai, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk and Primorsky territories. At the beginning of the 21st century, the incidence increased, up to 3,000 or more cases are detected annually; This is the most common rickettsiosis in Russia.

Marseilles fever (caused by R. conorii) found in coastal areas of the Black and Azov Seas; Astrakhan (causative agent R. conorii subtype caspiensis) - in the lower reaches of the Volga, Astrakhan region, Kalmykia and Western Kazakhstan.

All CLPs have some common features Clinical signs, among which: the presence of a primary affect at the site of tick suction in the form of a papule or a painless small infiltrate with necrosis in the center, covered with a dark (black) crust/eschar; regional lymphadenitis; acute onset of the disease after an incubation period, the average duration of which is 1-2 weeks; cyclical course (initial period - before the appearance of the rash; then periods of height and convalescence); chills, fever from 3 to 10 days; intoxication (usually moderate); headache, weakness, myalgia, arthralgia, insomnia; hyperemia of the skin of the face and neck, scleritis, conjunctivitis; liver enlargement; the appearance of exanthema 3-4 days after the increase in body temperature. The rash is usually profuse, maculopapular, on the skin of the trunk and extremities, including often on the palms and soles, and is not pruritic. After 5-7 days, the rash disappears, and skin pigmentation remains in its place.

LLP is usually benign. The exception is Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is found in North and South America.

The diagnosis of LP is based on epidemiological history (stay in a natural focus during the tick activity season) and a characteristic clinical symptom complex: primary affect at the site of tick bite, polymorphic exanthema, fever.

The diagnosis is confirmed by the detection of antibodies to the antigens of the corresponding rickettsia in various laboratory methods: indirect immunofluorescence reaction (IDIF), ELISA, complement fixation reaction (FFR), indirect hemagglutination reaction (IRHA).

Treatment of LP is carried out with tetracycline drugs (doxycycline 0.2 g/day), fluoroquinolones (ciprofloxacin 0.5 g 2 times a day) or macrolides (erythromycin 0.5 g 4 times a day).

Specific prevention, using a vaccine, has been developed only for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and nonspecific prevention is similar to that for all tick-borne diseases.

Omsk hemorrhagic fever (OHF)- spicy viral disease with natural focality, characterized by fever, hemorrhagic syndrome and damage to the nervous system. The causative agent belongs to the group of arboviruses, family Flaviviridae. It has been established that the main reservoir of infection is the water rat, bank vole, muskrat, and ticks Dermacentor pictus and D. marginatus. No cases of human transmission have been observed. Natural foci of OHF have been identified in the Omsk, Novosibirsk, Tyumen, Kurgan, and Orenburg regions.

The gateway to infection is the skin at the site of the tick bite or minor damage, infected through contact with a muskrat or water rat. At the site of the infection gate, no primary affect is observed. The virus penetrates the blood, spreads hematogenously throughout the body and primarily affects blood vessels, the nervous system and the adrenal glands.

The incubation period lasts from 2 to 4 days. The disease begins suddenly, the body temperature rises to 39-40 °C. General weakness, intense headache, and muscle pain appear. Patients are inhibited and reluctant to answer questions. The temperature remains at a high level for 3-4 days, then lytically decreases by the 7-10th day of illness. Fever rarely lasts less than 7 or more than 10 days. Almost half of the patients experience repeated waves of fever (relapses), often at 2-3 weeks from the onset of the disease and lasting from 4 to 14 days. The total duration of the disease is from 15 to 40 days.

Already from 1-2 days, most patients develop a hemorrhagic rash. The skin of the face, neck and upper chest is hyperemic, the face is puffy, the vessels of the sclera are injected. Nasal, pulmonary, intestinal, uterine bleeding. There is a decrease in blood pressure, muffled heart sounds, bradycardia, dicrotia of the pulse and individual extrasystoles. In 30% of patients, pneumonia develops (small-focal), and there may be signs of kidney damage (proteinuria, microhematuria, cylindruria). From the central nervous system there are signs of meningitis and meningoencephalitis (in severe forms of the disease). In the blood there is pronounced leukopenia (1200-2000 in 1 μl), ESR is not increased. To confirm the diagnosis, RSC, a neutralization reaction, is used. Etiotropic treatment has not been developed.

Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CHF)- an acute viral disease related to zoonoses with natural focality. It is characterized by two-wave fever, general intoxication, severe thrombohemorrhagic syndrome, and a severe course. The pathogen was discovered in 1945 by M. P. Chumakov.

The reservoir of the virus is wild small mammals (wood mouse, small gopher, brown hare, long-eared hedgehog), as well as domestic animals (sheep, goats, cows). The carrier and guardian are ticks of the genus Hyalomma. The incidence is characterized by seasonality with a maximum from May to August (in our country). The disease occurs in Crimea, Astrakhan, Rostov, Volgograd regions, Krasnodar and Stavropol territories, Chechnya, Kalmykia, as well as Central Asia, China, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, in sub-Saharan Africa (Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, etc.).

CCHF is classified as a dangerous infectious disease. Infection occurs not only when bitten by an infected tick or when it is crushed, but also when the patient’s blood and bloody secretions come into contact with the skin or mucous membranes.

The incubation period lasts from 1 to 14 days (usually 2-7 days). The disease begins suddenly, body temperature quickly rises to 39-40 °C, and headache, myalgia and other symptoms of intoxication appear simultaneously. A constant symptom is fever, which lasts on average 7-8 days. Before the onset of hemorrhagic syndrome, there is a decrease in body temperature to subfebrile; after 1-2 days, body temperature rises again (“two-humped” temperature curve). During the height of the disease (2-4 days from the onset of the disease), a hemorrhagic rash appears on the skin and mucous membranes, hemorrhages at injection sites, nasal, gastrointestinal, uterine bleeding, hemoptysis, etc. Patients are lethargic, adynamic, sometimes, on the contrary , excited. Meningeal syndrome is not uncommon. The severity of thrombohemorrhagic syndrome determines the severity and outcome of the disease. The convalescence period is estimated at several months.

When making a diagnosis, epidemiological data (stay in endemic regions, season, etc.) and characteristic characteristics are taken into account. clinical symptoms: acute onset, early-onset and varying degrees of thrombohemorrhagic syndrome, two-wave temperature curve, leukopenia, anemization, etc. For specific diagnostics, RNIF, ELISA, and PCR are used.

A patient with CHF is hospitalized in a box infectious diseases hospital. Ribavirin is recommended as an etiotropic drug.

Ehrlichiosis as an epidemic infectious disease was first recognized in the USA in 1986. There are two etiologically and epidemiologically various shapes diseases: monocytic ehrlichiosis human (MECH), caused E. chaffeensis, And granulocytic ehrlichiosis human (HEC), or anaplasmosis, called E. phagocytophila. Pathogens are transmitted to humans through the bite of infected ticks, which acquire them by feeding on infected animals. Ehrlichia belongs to the family Rickettsiae, have a characteristic round shape with a membrane bounding it on the outside. There are publications about the detection of patients in Germany, England, Scandinavia, and France. Ehrlichiosis is quite widespread in the USA and Japan. These are new diseases for Russia; the first cases of monocytic ehrlichiosis were diagnosed in the Perm region. in 1999, anaplasmosis - a few years later in the Far East.

The duration of the incubation period for ehrlichiosis is on average 8-14 days.

Clinically, MECH and HSE are almost indistinguishable and are characterized by a complex of symptoms: sudden onset, chills, fever, headache, myalgia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, increased activity of liver enzymes. The rash occurs in approximately 1/3 of patients with LECH, but is rare in patients with HES. Exanthema appears on days 1-8 of illness, first on the extremities, then on the trunk, face and neck, not abundant, mostly spotty, sometimes petechial. The duration of the febrile period ranges from several days to 3 weeks. The course of the disease varies from lung benign to extremely difficult. In some cases, complications such as respiratory distress syndrome, renal failure, neurological disorders, disseminated intravascular coagulation. The mortality rate for LECH is 5%, and for HSE it is 10%, although, obviously, the true mortality rate may be higher.

RNIF is most often used for diagnosis. Cases of the disease are confirmed by a 4-fold increase in antibody titers in the RNIF or a single titer of specific antibodies in the RNIF ≥ 64, positive PCR. When microscopy of blood smears stained by Wright, intracellular inclusions of the corresponding ehrlichia can be detected in monocytes or granulocytes.

Ehrlichia is sensitive to tetracycline drugs, chloramphenicol, which makes it possible to quickly and effectively treat this disease. Cases of co-infection with Lyme borreliosis and ehrlichiosis have been reported.

Tick-borne fevers Kemerovo, Lipovnik - “new” zoonotic natural focal arboviral infectious diseases with a vector-borne mechanism of pathogen transmission.
The causative agent is RNA viruses from the family Reoviridae (Orbivirus) Kemerovo group.

The reservoir and sources of the pathogen are rodents, small mammals, and birds. The main species that supports the existence of viruses in nature are ticks Dermacentor spp.. People's natural sensitivity is high. After an illness, immunity remains. Recurrent diseases are rare. Kemerovo fever was detected in the forest and forest-steppe parts Kemerovo region Russia, Lipovnik fever - in a number European countries. Mostly men aged 20-50 years are affected. Persons professionally associated with forests (foresters, loggers, rangers, etc.) are at greatest risk. Diseases are detected mainly in the warm season, during the period when ticks are active. The duration of the incubation period is 4-5 days. Clinically they are characterized by two-wave fever, intoxication, sometimes rash, hemorrhages, signs of meningoencephalitis, myocarditis. Laboratory diagnostics and treatment are under development.

So, on the territory of Russia in the warm season there is a real danger of contracting one or several infections transmitted by ixodid ticks at the same time. Their clinical diagnosis is complex, and laboratory diagnosis in the early stages is not always informative.

The population should be impressed upon the need for protective measures when visiting forests, parks and other tick habitats (wearing clothing such as overalls, using repellents, self- and mutual examination). If a tick is found, you should immediately remove it and consult a general practitioner or infectious disease specialist. It is advisable to examine the tick for the presence of possible pathogens. If a TBE virus is detected in a tick, the victim is injected with anti-encephalitis immunoglobulin, Borrelia, and antibiotics (doxycycline or amoxicillin) are prescribed for 7-10 days.

Literature

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2. Dekonenko E. P. Clinical and epidemiological features of Lyme borreliosis // Doctor, 2004, No. 2, p. 24-28.
3. Zlobin V.I., Demina T.V., Belikov S.I., etc.. Genetic typing of tick-borne encephalitis virus strains based on analysis of homology levels of the envelope protein gene fragment // Questions of Virology, 2001, No. 1, p. 17-22.
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7. Broker M., Kollarić G.. Prevention after a tick bite in regions where tick-borne encephalitis is endemic; modern approaches to post-exposure prophylaxis (review), actual problems tick-borne neuroinfections. Kemerovo May 22-23, 2008 // Medicine in Kuzbass. Special issue No. 5, 2008, p. 29-36.
8. Vorobyova M. S. Immunoglobulin from donated blood humans for the prevention and treatment of tick-borne encephalitis // Biopreparaty, 2008, No. 2, p. 7-8.
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During the summer, there is a high probability of getting a tick bite. This topic must be treated extremely scrupulously. Today, tick bites in humans are quite common. This combination of circumstances can lead to serious consequences and even a threat to life. When going on a picnic in the forest, you must follow some rules of conduct there. If a tick is found, submit it for examination. These and many other questions will be discussed below.

ICD-10 code

A84 Tick-borne viral encephalitis

A69.2 Lyme disease

Incubation period after a tick bite in humans

Infection occurs directly through the bite of an arthropod. The tick is the carrier of many dangerous diseases for a person. There have been cases where infection occurred through the gastrointestinal tract. No, you don't need to eat a tick to do this. But cases of ticks entering the body in this way have been recorded, but only in animals. It is enough for a person to simply consume the milk of an animal that is infected. The incubation period in humans after a tick bite can last up to 30 days. In some cases it drags on for 2 months.

Most often, the first symptoms begin to manifest themselves 7-24 days after the bite. There have been cases where a sharp deterioration in the condition was observed after 2 months. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor your health status. The incubation period is entirely dependent on the blood-brain barrier. The weaker it is, the faster the disease, if any, will manifest itself. You need to pay attention to everything strange symptoms, including ordinary headache. This will allow you to quickly identify the disease and eliminate it.

Symptoms of a tick bite in humans

If the bite was made by an infected tick, then the person has a risk of getting serious illnesses. One of them is tick-borne encephalitis. When it develops rapidly, it damages the nervous system and can lead to inflammation of the brain. Disability and death cannot be ruled out. The main symptoms after a tick bite begin to plague a person after a week.

Symptoms after a bite are very similar to the onset of an acute respiratory disease. A person feels general malaise, body temperature rises, and body aches appear. All this may indicate the presence of an infection in the body. Slightly different symptoms are observed with borreliosis. The whole danger is that there may not be any signs for up to six months. Then the bite site begins to turn red and all the symptoms described above appear.

Additional symptoms may include vomiting, migraine, and chills. The person's condition deteriorates sharply. On the fourth day after the onset of the disease, flaccid paralysis may develop. Sometimes it affects the larynx and pharynx, making it difficult for a person to swallow. There have been cases where the reaction was so strong that disturbances in the functioning of the respiratory system and heart occurred. Possible epileptic seizures.

What does a tick bite look like on a person?

The tick attaches to the human body through an organ called the hypostome. It is an unpaired outgrowth capable of performing the functions of sensory organs. With its help, the tick attaches itself and sucks blood. Most often, a tick bite on a person is observed in places with delicate skin, and looks like a red spot with a dark dot in the middle. You need to look for it on the stomach, lower back, groin area, armpits, chest and ear area.

Allergic reactions may occur at the site of suction. After all, flare saliva and microtraumas negatively affect human skin. The suction is painless, so the person does not feel it. The bite site is red and round in shape.

The bite of a tick, a carrier of borreliosis, looks more pronounced. It is characterized by the appearance of a specific macular erythema. The speck can change sizes and reach up to 10-20 cm in diameter. In some cases, all 60 cm were recorded. The spot has a round shape, sometimes it takes the form of an irregular oval. Over time, a raised outer border begins to form and takes on a bright red hue. In the center of the spot, the skin becomes bluish or white. The stain somewhat resembles a donut. Gradually a crust and scar form. After a couple of weeks, the scar disappears on its own.

Signs of an encephalitis tick bite in humans

It is necessary to understand that a small tick bite can lead to serious problems with health. Thus, encephalitis can cause paralysis of the limbs and lead to death. There is no need to panic ahead of time. You should be able to distinguish symptoms and, if they appear, immediately consult a doctor. The likelihood of a favorable outcome is high if a person showed signs of an encephalitis tick bite at an early stage.

The first thing that appears is chills. A person thinks that he has an acute respiratory viral infection or the flu. Therefore, he begins treatment according to his own standard regimen, but it does not help. Chills are accompanied by an increase in temperature, sometimes reaching 40 degrees. At the next stage, headache and nausea appear, sometimes all this is supplemented by vomiting. The person is still sure that it is the flu. Severe headaches are replaced by body aches. Breathing gradually begins to become difficult, the person is unable to move normally. His face and skin rapidly turn red. This indicates that the virus has begun its harmful activities. After this, irreversible processes begin in the body. Possible paralysis or death.

Diseases after a tick bite in humans

A tick bite is safe, but only if the tick was not a carrier of any disease. The whole danger lies in the fact that most diseases manifest themselves over time. The person forgets about the bites and continues to live as before. Meanwhile, the disease begins to actively progress, all this is accompanied by certain symptoms. Therefore, it is worth noting that after a tick bite a person may develop the following diseases: tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis, tick-borne acarodermatitis and dermatobiasis. The first two diseases are especially dangerous.

Ehrlichiosis in humans from a tick bite

This dangerous infection, which can penetrate the body after a tick bite. It can be cured with effective treatment. If it is not started, the person will die. Ehrlichiosis is caused by bacteria that are transmitted into the body by a tick bite. The likelihood of contracting this disease increases if a person is often in areas where ticks are common. It is worth noting that a person can develop ehrlichiosis from a tick bite. However, not all ticks are carriers of the disease.

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Borreliosis in humans from a tick bite

Lyme disease is caused by spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. The phenomenon is widespread on all continents, so avoiding infection is not so easy. A person who has Lyme disease is not dangerous to others. Bacteria, along with saliva, enter the human skin, and after a few days they begin to actively multiply. The danger is that a person can develop borreliosis from a tick bite, with further damage to the heart, joints and brain. Bacteria can live in the human body for years and gradually lead to a chronic form of the disease.

The incubation period is 30 days. On average, symptoms begin to manifest themselves after 2 weeks. In almost 70% of cases, this is redness of the skin, the so-called erythema. The red spot can change in size and change. Ultimately, the bite site becomes covered with a crust, and the skin may remain pale or become bluish. A red hill appears around the site of the lesion, all of which visually resembles a donut. After a couple of weeks everything disappears. But the danger has not passed; in a month and a half, damage to the nervous system and heart may occur.

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Tick-borne encephalitis from a tick bite

Tick-borne encephalitis is a natural focal infection that in most cases affects the human nervous system. This can lead to disability and even death. Infection occurs from a tick bite, which can cause tick-borne encephalitis. People who like to spend a lot of time in nature are susceptible to this influence. They need to take extra care and constantly inspect their body for ticks.

The first signs after a bite may appear as early as a week later. Sometimes it takes a whole month. The first thing that happens is chills, accompanied by an increase in body temperature and a feverish state. The person sweats intensely, suffers from a severe headache and body aches. If symptoms do not manifest themselves for a long time, even mild muscle weakness can be a cause for panic.

It is necessary to seek help if there is a sharp increase in body temperature, strong head pain, sleep disturbance. Often the disease can cause hallucinations and seizures. All these symptoms should be a reason to go to the hospital.

Consequences of a tick bite in humans

A tick bite can cause a number of diseases. Naturally, if you do not pay attention to this, serious consequences are possible. So, most often, a person can develop irreparable consequences from a tick bite. They arise due to untimely treatment of encephalitis, borreliosis, akarodermatitis and dermatobiasis.

• Encephalitis can lead to serious consequences. It often affects the central nervous system and heart. The person may develop difficulty breathing and eventually paralysis. If treatment is not started in time, the victim may remain disabled or die.
• Borreliosis. The danger of defeat is that the disease can be “silent” for six months. During this period, irreparable changes can occur in the body. Thus, borreliosis manifests itself in the form of erythema. Redness may appear at the site of the bite, progress over time and eventually disappear. The worst thing begins later: after a month, serious disorders of the central nervous system and heart develop. A fatal outcome cannot be ruled out.
• Acarodermatitis. There are no consequences after such a defeat. A person may be bothered by local allergic reactions, but all this passes over time. The disease does not affect internal organs and systems.
• Dermatobiasis. The disease is especially dangerous for children. If eggs from the tick's abdomen begin to hatch in the body, death is possible. The child’s body is not able to cope with this problem, even with high-quality treatment.

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Complications after a tick bite in humans

After a tick bite, various complications can develop. The central nervous system is primarily affected. Possible development of epilepsy, headaches, paralysis. The cardiovascular system is also particularly affected. The appearance of arrhythmia and constant surges in blood pressure cannot be ruled out. The lungs also suffer, pneumonia can develop and, as a result, pulmonary hemorrhages. Under Negative influence kidneys and liver are included. In this case, after a tick bite, a person develops complications in the form of nephritis and digestive disorders.

Encephalitis is especially dangerous. At best, everything will end in chronic weakness. The body is able to recover on its own after a couple of months. In severe cases, the process can drag on for six months. In the worst case, a person will develop defects that will interfere with his normal life. Persistent changes in the body lead to epilepsy and disability.

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Temperature during a tick bite in a person

A sharp increase in body temperature a few hours after the bite indicates that the body responded to such an invasion with an allergic reaction. This happens due to the saliva of a sterile or infected tick getting under the skin. Therefore, when a tick bites, a person’s temperature must be constantly recorded; moreover, the victim must be monitored for 10 days. Body temperature should be constantly measured. Fever may manifest itself 2-10 days after the bite. This symptom indicates the onset of infectious pathogenesis.

With tick-borne encephalitis, the temperature may rise 2-4 days after the bite. It lasts for two days and then returns to normal on its own. A repeated increase is recorded on the 10th day. with borreliosis, body temperature does not change so often. With ehrlichiosis, fever appears on the 14th day. Moreover, it can be elevated for 20 days. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor temperature indicators.

Redness after a bite

This symptom is characteristic of Lyme disease. The tick site is redder and resembles a ring. This can happen 3-10 days after the lesion. In some cases, a skin rash occurs. Over time, the redness after the bite changes in size and becomes much larger. Borreliosis is characterized by the appearance of erythema. It is accompanied by severe fever, headache, and fatigue. It's possible motor restlessness, muscle and joint pain. Swelling of the tonsils is often observed.

Over the next 3-4 weeks, the rash begins to gradually subside and the spot may disappear completely. A person, as a rule, does not pay attention to all this. The danger still remains. So, in a month and a half they may appear severe complications from the central nervous system. Therefore, it is imperative to monitor redness and tick bites in general!

Lump at the site of a tick bite

Often the human body responds negatively to the introduction of a tick into it. So, the bite site begins to turn red, and in some cases a lump appears. Why does all this happen and is there any danger in this? It should be understood that a common allergic reaction can cause a lump at the site of a tick bite. It occurs due to the piercing of the skin with the proboscis and the entry of saliva into them. Moreover, it is not necessary that saliva be infected; even in sterile form it can provoke an allergic reaction. Itching, redness and slight swelling are normal reactions of the body. But there’s no point in relaxing.

If the tick was submitted for examination, and it confirmed the absence of dangerous bacteria in it, there is no reason to worry. When a lump appears after a while, but the tick has not been checked, there is reason to worry. You need to go to the hospital immediately. This may indicate infection. Diseases caused by ticks have been described above.

The lump may occur due to improper removal of the tick. In some cases, the body of the tick is safely removed, but its proboscis remains in the skin. Therefore, the removal process must be monitored more carefully. When a lump appears and additional symptoms in the form of fever and headache, you need to immediately go to the hospital.

Diarrhea after a tick bite

Intestinal upset is not observed very often, but it can be one of the signs of serious damage to the body. Each person is individual, and even a bite from an uninfected tick can lead to a number of negative reactions. The affected area may become red and, over time, itching and a rash appear. The intestines can also react negatively after a tick bite, causing diarrhea.

This symptomatology is twofold. In one case, it may indicate a weakness of the body, in another, it may indicate infection. Therefore, if negative symptoms appear, including intestinal upset, you should go to the hospital. Even if a person feels better after a while. Many tick-borne diseases begin to manifest themselves 2 weeks after the bite. During this period, an infection can develop in the body and lead to irreversible processes.

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Seal after a bite

A lump after a bite may indicate an infection has entered the body. If this symptom appears along with redness, itching and rash, you should immediately consult a doctor. This can be either improper removal of the tick or the development of a serious disease. Often, after a bite, a lump forms; its development is provoked by an allergic reaction. This is perhaps the most harmless thing that can happen.

By piercing the skin with its proboscis, the tick begins to attach itself. This process can cause itching, redness and even rawness. Often after removal a compaction appears. True, this symptom is not so harmless. It is likely that an infection has begun to develop in the human body. This could be encephalitis or borreliosis. You should immediately seek help from a hospital.

Often people do not remove the tick itself correctly. This causes its proboscis to remain embedded in the skin. In this regard, the inflammatory process begins, severe irritation and compaction appear. Doctors will help you cope with this problem.

Treatment after a tick bite in a person

The first step is to remove the tick. This can be done either independently or by going to the hospital. The live tick must be preserved and taken for examination. If it was killed during removal, it is worth placing it in a container with ice. In any case, the tick must be submitted for examination! After all, bites can cause a number of dangerous diseases. It is important that after a tick bite a person has the disease correctly diagnosed and effective treatment is prescribed.

The bite is treated with antibiotics. True, they are not always used to eliminate the infectious agent. To eliminate encephalitis, antibiotics are not used.

• Tick-borne encephalitis. The first thing a person needs to do is provide bed rest. It is advisable that it be at least a week. For the first three days, the victim should take human immunoglobulin. It is recommended to resort to the help of such means as: Prednisolone, Ribonuclease. Blood substitutes that are also suitable are Reopoliglyukin, Poliglyukin and Hemodez. If meningitis occurs, an increased dose of vitamins B and ascorbic acid. At respiratory failure intensive ventilation is used.
• The treatment regimen for borreliosis is somewhat different. The first step is to hospitalize the patient. At the stage of manifestation of erythema, he should take Tetracycline. Bacteriostatics play a special role in treatment. This may be Lincomycin and Levomycetin. If a neurological syndrome is observed, it is treated with intravenous injections of bactericidal antibiotics. This may be Azlocillin and Piperacillin. Water balance is restored using blood substitutes, such as Reopoliglyukin and Poliglyukin

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! This information It is recommended to clarify. Results are provided on the day the tick is submitted or the next day.

How to treat a tick bite on a person?

If a tick is found on the body, it must be removed immediately. An experienced specialist can help with this. In the hospital, the tick is immediately submitted for examination, because a tick bite in a person can provoke the development serious illnesses, so you need to know how to treat the affected area. In outpatient treatment, a person is recommended to use immunoglobulins. The most commonly prescribed drug is Rimantadine. It is taken for 3 days, one tablet in the morning and evening.

At home, ticks can be removed using oil. You need to drop a lot of it on the head of the tick. Alcohol is also used for these purposes. After 15 minutes you can begin removal. In most cases, the tick comes out on its own. It’s much easier to remove it this way; just use tweezers and in a circular motion pull out the tick. It is recommended to treat the bite site with hydrogen peroxide. Further advice can be obtained from the hospital. Usually, the affected area is not treated with anything else.

Tablets for tick bites in humans

If there is a risk of developing encephalitis in a person or the diagnosis has been confirmed, they begin to take human immunoglobulin. This could be Prednisolone and Ribonuclease. Blood substitutes such as Reopoliglyukin, Poliglyukin are actively used. All these tablets for tick bites do not allow infection to spread throughout the human body and lead to serious damage to the body.

• Prednisolone. The dosage regimen is individual. Usually the product is used once a day. It is actively used to eliminate the consequences of tick bites. It is not recommended to take the drug if you have fungal infections or intolerance. Hypokalemia, flatulence, sleep disturbances and negative nitrogen balance may develop.
• Ribonuclease. For the treatment of tick-borne encephalitis, the drug is administered intramuscularly 6 times a day. The dose may be adjusted. The product should not be used in case of respiratory failure, bleeding and tuberculosis. Allergic reactions may develop.
• Reopoliglyukin and Poliglyukin. The drugs are administered intravenously at a rate of 60 drops per minute. The maximum quantity is 2.5 liters. They cannot be used for skull injuries and diabetes. May lead to the development of allergic reactions. It extremely rarely causes arterial hypotension.
• For borreliosis, slightly different drugs are used. Reopoliglyukin and Poliglyukin are also used as hematopoietic medications. At the initial stages of erythema, Tetracycline is used, as well as bacteriostatics: Levomycetin and Lincomycin. Azlocillin and Piperacillin are used as bactericidal antibiotics.
• Tetracycline. The product can be used both in the form of tablets and ointments. The ointment is applied to the affected area every 6 hours. As for tablets, they are used in doses of 250-500 mg with the same frequency. The product should not be used by children under eight years of age, as well as by pregnant women. The development of diarrhea, constipation, and allergic reactions is possible.
• Levomycetin and Lincomycin. When taken orally, the dose is up to 500 mg. This amount of product is used up to 4 times a day. The duration of treatment is usually 10 days. The drugs should not be used if the functionality of the liver or kidneys is impaired. A similar requirement is made for children and pregnant women. Possible development: leukopenia, depression and skin rash.
• Azlocillin. The drug is administered intravenously. The maximum dosage is 8 grams. That is, 2 grams 4 times a day. It should not be taken by people with allergic reactions. Can cause nausea, vomiting, and anaphylactic shock.
• Piperacillin. The drug is administered intravenously over 30 minutes. The daily dose is 100-200 mg. The medication is administered up to 4 times a day. It should not be taken in case of hypersensitivity, pregnancy or lactation. Can lead to headaches, skin hyperemia and dysbacteriosis.

Prevention of tick bites in humans

Prevention is entirely based on a few basic rules. First of all, it is necessary to vaccinate. This will avoid serious consequences in the future. If a person is already infected, it is not advisable to carry out this procedure. The second criterion for prevention is specific immunotherapy. She represents therapeutic event, in which immunoglobulin is introduced into the human body. Prevention of tick bites should be carried out more carefully in people whose activities are directly related to working in nature.

It is important to dress properly when going to the forest or nature. Special clothing will help prevent ticks from getting under it. You can use special repellents. These can be either sprays or creams that are applied to the skin. All this will help avoid a bite and further infection. Following simple rules and checking the body after returning from nature will protect a person and prevent possible serious consequences.

Forecast

The further course depends on how quickly the person reacted to the defeat. If he ignored the symptoms and did not see a doctor, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable. The fact is that tick bites can only manifest themselves after a while. This is the main danger. The first symptoms may appear within a week and fade away after a few days. Then it flares up with renewed vigor, but already entails serious damage to the central nervous system and brain. This can lead to the development of epilepsy, paralysis, disability and even death. Naturally, the prognosis in this case is unfavorable.

If a person notices a tick in time, removes it and submits it for examination, the likelihood of a good outcome is high. After all, even if the tick is infected, based on the results of the examination, the person will be prescribed high-quality treatment. This will prevent all serious consequences. The favorable prognosis depends entirely on the person himself.

Death from a tick bite in humans Death after a bite can occur for a number of reasons. In most cases, this is due to infection with serious diseases such as encephalitis and borreliosis. Many people ignore the symptoms and are in no hurry to see a doctor. Meanwhile, the disease begins to actively progress. Encephalitis is especially dangerous; such a tick bite can cause death in humans.

The disease can manifest itself on initial stage and then fade away. After which it returns with renewed vigor and leads to serious damage to the central nervous system and brain. This often causes fatal outcome. Borreliosis is also dangerous. It can manifest itself six months after infection. And everything happens instantly. Animals may die instantly. Finally, dermatobiasis. This disease is fatal in children. The body of adults is more adapted to this infection.

What diseases do ticks carry? First aid.

A tick bite is unpleasant in itself, but its consequences can be even more dangerous. They vary in severity - from redness and burning of the skin to complete paralysis. Everyone knows that ixodid arachnids cause the development of borreliosis and encephalitis, but there are also arachnids that provoke diseases in people, pets and plants.

Since encephalitis and borreliosis ticks are considered the most dangerous to humans, we will begin to consider this problem with them. Infection with many infections occurs when the pest feeds.

How to detect a bite?

• In the armpits and on the inner surface of the shoulders and forearms.
• On the inner thighs, around and on the genitals.
• On the chest, in the fold under the breasts in women.

• hydrogen peroxide;
• brilliant green;
• medical alcohol (if unavailable, regular vodka will do);
• potassium permanganate solution;
• alcohol solution of iodine.

After the bloodsucker is removed from the skin, you need to gallop to the pharmacy for Yodantipirin, the tablets will help block a possible viral infection. Accept this medicine it is necessary, guided by the attached instructions. This drug is quite strong, so it is able to destroy the encephalitis virus circulating in the blood already in the first day, but it is still better to carry out the course of emergency prophylaxis to the end.

Yodantipirin can only be taken by adults and adolescents who are at least 14 years old. But what then is the first medication assistance for tick bites for young children? It is better to consult your doctor on this issue, but with a high degree of probability he will prescribe Anaferon for Children to the affected child.

If the bloodsucker attacks a dog or cat, it is also removed and the wound is disinfected. The wound must be treated daily until it is completely healed. At the first signs of inflammatory processes at the site where the pest is attached, you should take your four-legged friend to the veterinarian.

Where to go if bitten?

Almost all diseases spread by ticks are accompanied by hyperthermia and febrile states, but they differ from each other in the causative agent, clinical picture, prognosis for recovery.

Tick-borne encephalitis.

A viral infection that can be obtained after sucking on a dog or taiga tick. There is also a more complex route of infection, in which the bloodsucker transmits the virus to farm animals, and people become infected by eating milk that has not been boiled.

Statistical studies show that in warm regions it is impossible to catch the disease, since the habitat of encephalitis ticks is limited to the southern border of the forest zone. In advanced cases, the virus is localized in the central nervous system, which leads to blocking of its normal functions, resulting in paralysis and severe intoxication of the body. If left untreated, the patient will die.

But the course of the disease and its outcome depend not only on the subspecies of the pathogen, but also on the state of the immune system of a particular person and the amount of virus that enters the bloodstream during the bite. The form of the disease depends on immunity, of which there are 5. Most often, after a bite, the first 1–3 weeks are asymptomatic (the incubation period during which the virus multiplies in the body). A rapid or protracted reaction is observed less frequently (1 and 30 days, respectively). After the virus has multiplied many times, it begins to spread through the bloodstream throughout the body - and then the primary symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis appear, the same for all forms. Moreover, the early signs of encephalitis are similar to those of ARVI, so only a doctor can make a correct diagnosis, based on the patient’s tests.

Primary symptoms:

• Hyperthermia. Body temperature rises sharply to 39ºС and above, a feeling of chills appears.
• Sharp pain occurs in the head, lumbar spine, and skeletal muscles begin to “break.”
• Daylight becomes unbearable.
• The skin of the face turns red, gradually the redness spreads downwards, reaching the level of the collarbones.
• Breathing becomes labored and rapid, and heart rate decreases.
• The general condition of the body is characterized by lethargy, reactions to external pathogens are inhibited.

Occasionally, patients with encephalitis experience nausea and vomiting. When the pathogen reaches the central nervous system, numbness of certain areas of the skin, muscle weakness or convulsive contractions appear. The primary symptoms are followed by the active phase of encephalitis, which occurs in one form or another, which directly depends on the location of the pathogen.

Forms of the disease:

1. Feverish is the mildest, the mortality rate is scanty. Viruses wander through the bloodstream without affecting the organs of the nervous system. Symptoms resemble flu: fever with chills, joint pain and muscle tissue, weakness, signs of intoxication. With a timely diagnosis, treatment takes an average of 1 week.
2. Meningial – occurs quite often. Pathogens reach the central nervous system and are localized in the meninges. Against the background of headache, dizziness, photophobia, and signs of intoxication appear. With the slightest movement of the head and neck, the pain intensifies. Distinctive feature other forms cause constant hypertonicity of the neck muscles, which causes the head to be tilted back. The ligaments and muscles of the legs may suffer, and the patient is unable to bend his knees. The general condition of the patient is characterized by lethargy and lethargy. Treatment continues for 2 weeks, but for some time the recovered person remains lethargic and depressed.
3. Meningoencephalitic - occurs if the pathogen settles directly in the brain cells. With this form, people experience facial expression problems, speech and vision disorders (including strabismus), as well as mental disorders. Patients lose orientation in time and space, behave inappropriately, are unable to fully control their body movements, their rhythm of sleep and wakefulness is disrupted, and hallucinations may occur.
4. The polio form occurs if the pathogen affects only the cells of the spinal cord, which is responsible for the motor activity of the muscles, skin sensitivity. Areas of the skin become numb, the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle gradually atrophy. As a result, the patient cannot hold his head in correct position, the body gradually “dries out.”
5. Polyradiculoneuritis is the most dangerous form of encephalitis. The virus affects the roots of the spinal cord, as well as the peripheral NS. This form is characterized by the development of paralysis, which begins either from the legs or from the shoulder girdle and goes upward. As a result, skeletal and facial muscles atrophy, which can lead to respiratory arrest and death.

Diagnosis and treatment.

To accurately establish a diagnosis and identify the form of the disease, a virological study of blood, as well as material from the spinal canal, is performed. Treatment prescribed by a doctor consists of administering medications (immunoglobulins), reducing swelling meninges, general strengthening measures. From the moment of recovery, the patient is registered with a neurologist for observation for 3 years.

Prevention.

There are several ways to prevent encephalitis:

• Prevention of tick attacks.
• Heat treatment of goat and cow milk.
• Vaccination against encephalitis. It consists of administering a drug containing a dead pathogen. Vaccination is carried out in 3 stages and allows you to develop immunity to the virus. It is worth noting that a child should be vaccinated against encephalitis after reaching the age of 3 with the permission of the pediatrician observing the baby. Since cats and dogs do not suffer from encephalitis, they do not need vaccination.

Systemic tick-borne borreliosis.

A dangerous bacterial infection caused by Borrelia and affecting the musculoskeletal system, cardiovascular and nervous systems. Lyme borreliosis can only be contracted after a tick bite; other routes of transmission are impossible.

The incubation period for this disease can last from 2 days to 1 month. The first sign of infection is the appearance of severe redness at the site of the bite, which spreads radially. Very often, an additional red ring appears on the periphery, which is a sure sign of borreliosis. But in 20% of patients the skin remains unchanged, in which case they are prescribed a microbiological blood test.

This bacterial disease goes through 3 successive stages.

• At first, signs appear that can easily be confused with the flu and other infections. Patients complain of general malaise, headaches and body aches, hyperthermia and very fatigue. The neck and neck muscles are tense, and occasionally the head is thrown back and the knees are pulled toward the stomach. Erythema migrans (red ring) is bright and gradually continues to spread to the periphery.
• Bacteria carried by the bloodstream are localized in the heart or nervous system, causing serious defects. Symptoms of the disease begin to resemble meningitis, accompanied by unilateral cranial nerve palsy. At the same time, facial expressions visually suffer; it is difficult for a person to speak and smile, since one side of the face is not able to move. The muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle remain stiff, and prolonged tension causes shooting pains from the neck to the hands, from the pelvis to the feet. Often, benign formations of a bright crimson color grow on the body, which are called lymphocytomas.
• Severe muscle and joint pain occurs. Arthritis is accompanied by increased fatigue. Sometimes the symptoms subside, but return again after a few days. Eventually, the articular cartilage may be completely destroyed, causing the organ to lose mobility. Sometimes patients in the chronic stage develop disorders of consciousness: hallucinations, speech disorders, memory disorders. They are accompanied by general symptoms of intoxication, as well as convulsive muscle contractions.

Treatment. Lyme disease requires drug treatment. Since it is caused by bacteria, it will not be possible to do without antibiotics. The drug and dosage must be prescribed by the attending physician. Amoxicillin and Doxicillin are most often used to treat borreliosis. In addition, you should take medications for symptomatic treatment (painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, etc.).

Prevention. Since today there is no vaccine against Lyme disease, all prevention comes down to the fight against Borrelia carriers - ticks.

Scabies.

There are many ways to treat scabies, the most inexpensive are considered traditional, and the fastest and most effective are pharmacological. There are many medications for scabies, so you need to know how to choose the best one.

Reviews from those who have recovered show that the most effective means is sulfur ointment. In addition, it is cheap and time-tested. Treatment is carried out over a five-day course. Here is a brief step-by-step instruction for treatment with sulfur ointment:

• Apply the ointment to the entire body, paying special attention to the affected areas.
• Do not wash off for 4 days, but replace bed linen with clean ones every day.
• On the 5th day before going to bed, take a warm shower (under no circumstances lie in a hot bath!), and reapply the ointment to the body.
• In the morning, wash off the ointment with warm water and soap.

Quite popular drugs for getting rid of scabies are zinc ointment and benzyl benzoate. They are used in the same way as sulfur ointment. Sometimes dermatologists prescribe Spregal spray for the treatment of scabies. It can be applied to the body, bedding and clothing. But it is worth remembering the danger of inhaling toxic substances. Sprays should not be used on newborns, people with particularly sensitive skin, allergy sufferers and asthmatics. Also, a serious disadvantage of the sprayer is its uneconomical nature and high price. Less commonly, doctors prescribe medications for scabies in the form of tablets. For example, Ivermectin is a rather expensive medicine, and only adults with a strong immune system who do not suffer from allergies should take it.

Thus, the most inexpensive, fastest and safest way to combat scabies is the application of ointments. But what about the clothes and belongings of a sick person? Proper processing of them will not only speed up recovery, but also eliminate reinfection scabies, will protect your household from the disease. In this regard, professionals give the following recommendations:

1. The patient should be given a separate hand towel that will not be used by other family members.
2. Bedding must be replaced every day until complete recovery.
3. Dirty bed linen, as well as clothes infected with scabies, are washed separately in hot water, then dried and ironed with an iron or hot steam.
4. Every day you should treat surfaces that the patient comes into contact with to avoid contact transmission of infection to household members. Special attention It is necessary to pay attention to door handles and switches.
5. During the illness, it is worth limiting contact with pets so as not to infect them and not make them carriers of tick-borne infection.

The sooner you start fighting scabies, the sooner the disease will go away and the fewer scars on the skin will remain.

Demodecosis.

Caused by Demodex, which lives in hair follicles and pores. With reduced immunity, the pest multiplies and causes skin inflammation. As a result, painful pimples appear, most often on the face, and the skin takes on an unhealthy tint and lumpy appearance. Sometimes the scalp is affected, resulting in severe itching, accompanied by peeling, ulcers, and often the hair splits or falls out. Occasionally, the disease is localized on the eyelids. Demodicosis of the eyes is characterized by inflammatory processes, the appearance of suppurating ulcers, loss of eyelashes, and increased photosensitivity. Like scabies, demodex can be transmitted from pets to humans and vice versa.

How to get rid of demodex in humans?

To treat demodicosis of the skin, which in advanced cases can last more than a year, medications are also used that can be purchased at the pharmacy. Well proven:

• Ointments (benzyl benzoate, permethrin, erythromycin);
• Geli (“Baziron”);
• Tablets and capsules (Metronidazole, Doxycycline).

Demodex is also dangerous because it can cause serious eye damage. In this case, you cannot experiment on yourself and self-medicate; you must urgently run to a doctor who will help you choose treatment. It usually consists of rubbing creams (Demazol) or using eye drops (Tafazol).

It is worth noting that when getting rid of demodex, it is important to follow basic hygiene rules.

1. Ladies should throw away all old cosmetics and not buy new ones until they are completely recovered.
2. When washing, you must use antibacterial soap, disposable paper napkins, and not towels, which are a breeding ground for microorganisms, including acne.
3. Bed linen, especially pillowcases, as well as dog and cat bedding should be washed as often as possible.

Allergies.

In addition to the listed diseases, ticks can cause allergic reactions. In most cases, allergies occur to the feces of dust and bed mites, less often to substances that make up the integument. An allergic reaction is expressed in skin itching, redness of the eyes, and sneezing. Sometimes accompanied by rhinitis or general nasopharyngeal congestion. To relieve these symptoms, you will have to take antihistamines. At the same time, it is necessary to keep the room clean - regularly carry out wet cleaning and ventilate.

Can ticks transmit hepatitis and HIV?

Animal diseases.

Piroplasmosis.

A bacterial infection transmitted to a domestic animal, most often a dog, through the saliva of ixodids. This is a fairly common ailment in pets. The disease leads to malfunctions of the circulatory and excretory systems. After infection, the dog becomes lethargic, eats poorly, and may develop a fever and shortness of breath. But the most striking symptom is the color of urine, it varies from reddish to brown. The disease can kill a pet in a few days (the lower the immunity and the smaller the breed of the dog, the faster the infection will develop). Based on this, at the first symptoms it is necessary to show the animal to a veterinarian.

Otodectosis.

The disease develops upon settlement ear canal cats, rabbits and dogs microscopically ear mites. The pathogen causes severe discomfort when moving towards eardrum provokes pain in the ears, and over time can cause the animal to become deaf. If your pet has scratch marks on his head, he constantly scratches his ears and shakes himself, and mushy brown dirt and ulcers appear inside the ear, then your four-legged friend probably suffers from otodectosis.

How to get rid of ear scabies in animals?

Otodectoses cause discomfort to animals, and pathogenic bacteria can enter the body through wounds in the auricle, causing even more serious diseases. In order to rid your pet of ear mites, you can follow the following instructions:

1. First of all, it is worth removing the crusts that have formed in it from the ear. This procedure is carried out using a small gauze or cotton swab soaked in a solution of a disinfectant liquid (chlorhexidine, hydrogen peroxide, manganese). Let us immediately note what mistakes should be avoided: you cannot clean the ears of different animals with one swab; Moreover, you need to take a separate swab for each ear; You should not over-moisten it, and also do not go deep into the ear canal.
2. Choose a formulation and medicine that is suitable specifically for your pet. To do this, it is better to consult a veterinarian.
3. Strictly follow the prescribed dosage and duration of treatment.
4. After the expected recovery, you must contact a veterinarian to make sure that the animal is cured.

The treatment procedure for otodectosis can take up to 3 weeks. Preparative forms of drugs include:

• Geli (“Amidel”);
• Ointments (aversectin, Oridermil, birch tar, sulfur-tar);
• Sprays (“Acaromectin”, “Anti-Flea”, “Ivermec”);
• Lotions for treating ears (“Ear Cleaner”, “Bars”);
• Drops (“Amitrazine”, “Demos”, “Ectodes”, etc.).

The medicine is dripped, placed or sprayed into auricle animal, after which the base of the ear is lightly massaged. In a few minutes cotton swabs Excess of the drug and earwax, which contains the causative agents of otodectosis, are carefully removed. The procedure is repeated several times (dosage and intervals must be prescribed in the instructions).

Notoedrosis.

The disease is provoked by microscopic subcutaneous itching; it occurs more often in cats than in dogs; in humans it is extremely rare and quickly goes away on its own. Primary symptoms resemble ordinary scabies, but if left untreated, complications arise. “Bald patches” with very dry skin form on the head, legs and abdomen. If the animal is not treated at this stage, areas of skin without hair begin to crack. A sticky liquid begins to gradually emerge from the cracks, which clumps the cat's or dog's fur into tight tangles. Since you can become infected with notoedrosis on the street from sick animals, it is worth periodically treating your pet with anti-tick medications.

On early stages It is possible to cure a disease in a cat or dog on your own using tar or sulfur ointment. Before processing, it is necessary to shave the hair on the damaged areas (it is better to burn it). Options for ointments against notohedrosis:

• Tar + Vaseline (1:9).
• Tar + soap + sulfur + petroleum jelly (3:3:1:10).

If the disease is in an advanced state, medications and dosage should be prescribed by a veterinarian.

Fighting cheyletiellosis

A tick-borne infection characteristic of cats, dogs and rabbits, in extremely rare cases for humans. You can get rid of pathogens using subcutaneous injections, which are done strictly by a veterinarian. An effective way to treat cheyletiellosis for dogs is to bathe pets using acaricidal shampoos, but for rabbits and cats this procedure not applicable, they are more sensitive to chemicals.

Since the pests that cause the development of the disease are spread by fleas (they enter the skin layers during a bite), anti-flea treatment of the pet’s home is carried out simultaneously with treatment. You can find out how to kill fleas.

Scab

Measures to combat pruritic scabies in animals.

Frequent scratching in cats and dogs can be caused by a number of reasons, one of which is microscopic itching. A veterinarian can diagnose the disease using laboratory tests of the pet's skin. When the diagnosis is confirmed, it is necessary to begin treating the dog or cat as soon as possible.

A veterinarian can prescribe subcutaneous injections for your pet (usually ivermectin solutions), but you can treat it yourself using various drops or ointments. But when choosing a drug and dosage, you must take into account the pet’s age, size and physiological state body. Stronghold droplets have good reviews; this manufacturer’s series includes pipettes of different sizes, designed for a certain age and size of animals.

For scabies itching in cats and dogs, you can also use ointments with gels. The Amidel gel has proven itself well, which, in addition to the acaricide, contains substances that relieve itching and swelling, soften the stratum corneum and prevent the development of bacterial infections. In order to eliminate scabies on animals, it is better to cut off the hair on the affected areas of the skin and treat with the selected gel according to the step-by-step instructions.

Diseases transmitted to humans from animals through a tick bite.

Anaplasmosis

Ixodid bloodsuckers are also capable of infecting humans with anaplasma. These bacteria are more often found in rats; it is from them that pathogens are transmitted to humans through ticks. The infection is very difficult to identify without microbiological analysis, since its symptoms are similar to acute respiratory infections or intestinal disorders. After an incubation period, which lasts from 3 to 20 days, signs of the disease begin to appear.

Hyperthermia, weakness and vomiting indicate that an infection is developing in the body. These symptoms are accompanied by muscle pain and headaches, severe enlargement of the lymph nodes, blood pressure also decreases, and the heartbeat slows down. Most patients develop hepatitis in an anicteric form, cough and other symptoms of respiratory infections. In general, the disease is not dangerous, only in a small number of people it provokes kidney damage and meningoencephalitis.

There is no vaccine for this infection, so tick bites should be avoided. It is also necessary, which are a reservoir for the development of anaplasmas.

Ehrlichiosis.

This disease is dangerous for people and animals. The pathogen (Ehrlichia bacterium) is transmitted from infected deer to humans and their pets through ticks. The mortality rate from ehrlichiosis is quite high, reaching 10%. This disease is acute, with increased temperature and prolonged fever. It is accompanied by damage to the urinary, respiratory tract, and visual organs. In especially severe cases, if left untreated, muscle cramps appear, a coma develops, and death is possible. The duration of treatment should not be less than 10 days, and the doctor prescribes an antibiotic (doxycycline, tetracycline, etc.).

Tick-borne typhus.

The number of Russians affected by tick bites is growing every day - if two weeks ago medical care already more than 52 thousand people, now their number is up to 129 thousand. The largest number of people who applied for tick bites was registered in the Kemerovo, Irkutsk, Vologda and Sverdlovsk regions, as well as in St. Petersburg.

The most terrible disease that a tick bite can cause is tick-borne encephalitis.

The traditional areas of distribution of tick-borne encephalitis are Siberia, the Urals, and the Far East, but cases of infection have also been reported in central Russia, the North-West region, and the Volga region. The tick-borne encephalitis virus is transmitted by ixodid ticks, which are found even in the Arctic and Antarctic.

Symptoms of the disease appear 4-14 days after the bite. For 2-4 days, the infected person suffers from fever, headache and muscle pain, and nausea. At this stage, the disease can easily be confused with the flu.

A week after these symptoms disappear, almost a third of those infected enter the second phase of the disease, which includes paralysis of the central nervous system, including meningitis (inflammation of the meninges and spinal cord) and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).

The Far Eastern subtype of tick-borne encephalitis is characterized by a more rapid course with a higher mortality rate. The disease begins with a sharp increase in body temperature to 38-39°C, severe headaches, sleep disturbances, and nausea begin. After 3-5 days, damage to the nervous system develops.

Tick-borne encephalitis can be diagnosed by the level of antibodies in the patient’s blood serum or by isolating the virus from the blood or cerebrospinal fluid.

There is no specific treatment for tick-borne encephalitis; you can only resort to supportive therapy.

Persistent neurological and psychiatric complications develop in 10-20% of infected individuals. The mortality rate of the infection is 1-2% for the European subtype and 20-25% for the Far Eastern subtype; Typically, death occurs within 5-7 days after the onset of neurological symptoms.

The most reliable measure to prevent tick-borne encephalitis is vaccination. Vaccinations are required for everyone who lives or travels to areas where ticks that carry the virus are found.

Ixodid ticks also carry Lyme disease - tick-borne borreliosis. It is the most common tick-borne infection in the Northern Hemisphere. Immediately after a bite, a characteristic ring-shaped mark can be found on the skin, indicating infection. It occurs in 60-80% of patients. The incubation period usually lasts 1-2 weeks, but can take only a few days and, conversely, last for months or even years.

The first symptoms of the disease, as with tick-borne encephalitis, are similar to those of the flu - headache and muscle pain, weakness, fatigue, fever. A characteristic symptom is stiffness of the neck muscles. After 1-3 months, in 10-15% of infected people, the disease enters the second phase, when signs of damage to the nervous system, heart and joints appear. Symptoms range from sleep and memory problems to meningitis and facial paralysis.

The third stage of Lyme disease occurs between six months and two years.

Its most common manifestation is arthritis, accompanied by a slight fever. The disease also increases the risk of developing chronic fatigue syndrome and dementia.

Diagnosis of the disease includes identifying Borrelia, the causative agent of the disease. Treatment uses antibiotics and supportive therapy to reduce the number of complications. The prognosis is most favorable if treatment is started in the early stages.

Another tick-borne disease is human monocytic ehrlichiosis. Symptoms of infection with Ehrlichia chaffeensis bacteria become noticeable 1-3 weeks after a tick bite. They include headache, fever and chills, and abdominal pain. If left untreated, organ damage develops abdominal cavity and nervous system. In severe cases, death can occur. For treatment, antibiotics and drugs are used to remove toxic substances produced by bacteria from the body.

Human granulocytic anaplasmosis develops 3-21 days after the pathogen, the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, enters the blood. The disease is characterized by an acute onset with severe fever, weakness, headache and muscle pain. Blood pressure drops and heart rate drops.

Anicteric hepatitis develops in 80% of cases.

One in ten patients has a rash all over their body. Most patients complain of sore throat, sore throat and cough.

In rare cases, the disease leads to kidney damage. It also weakens the body, creating favorable conditions for the development of bacterial, viral and fungal diseases. Rarely, death may occur.

There are no vaccinations against the disease, but timely antibacterial therapy allows you to avoid complications.

By May 25, 2018, 23 cases of tick-borne encephalitis and 250 cases of tick-borne borreliosis were registered in Russia. Cases of monocytic ehrlichiosis and granulocytic anaplasmosis have not yet been reported.

Rospotrebnadzor strongly recommends when staying in the forest or on summer cottage During the period of tick activity, carefully protect the skin -

wear long sleeves, tuck shirts into trousers, trousers into socks or shoes, cover your head and neck with a scarf.

If the tick does stick to the skin, it is better to remove it at the emergency room. If this is not possible, then the tick should be grabbed with tweezers or fingers wrapped in clean gauze as close to its oral apparatus as possible and, holding it strictly perpendicular to the surface of the bite, turn the tick’s body around its axis.

The bite site should be disinfected, and the tick itself should be taken to the laboratory, where it will be possible to determine whether it is a carrier of any pathogen.

Blood-sucking ticks are carriers of numerous infections and belong to the class of especially dangerous ones. Infection occurs directly through the bite of an arthropod. The most serious infections carried by ticks are encephalitis and borreliosis.

The peak of registered bites occurs in the first half of summer, but tick activity is observed until late autumn. The tick can get caught on clothing and then work its way to exposed skin. Often the penetration of a dangerous tick occurs through the sleeves, at the bottom of trousers, in the collar area.

Classification of ticks

These representatives of arthropods rarely reach 3 mm in size; the size of mites generally ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 mm. As befits arachnids, ticks lack wings.

Ticks are classified into two main groups:

• Sterile - those individuals that are not carriers of any infections;
• Infected ticks that are carriers of viral, microbial and other diseases (encephalitis).

It is worth noting that ticks most often begin to bite in early spring and late autumn. Please note that not all ticks are carriers of infectious diseases. Despite this, even a sterile tick can lead to serious consequences. This is why it is so important to know what to do in a specific situation when attacked by a tick.

Tick ​​bites are the first signs in people

As a rule, the first sign of a bite is the presence of an insect attached to the victim's body. Most often, areas of the body hidden under clothing and places with a well-developed capillary system are affected.

A tick bite is usually painless, and this fact goes unnoticed even after the tick finishes drinking blood and falls off the skin.

The first signs after a tick bite may appear after 2-4 hours. These include:

• headache;
• weakness;
• photophobia;
• drowsiness;
• chills;
• aching joints;
• pain in the muscles.

If there is redness during the bite, this may be a normal allergic reaction. But red spots that reach 10-12 cm in diameter may be a symptom. They can appear either after 2 days or weeks later.

Excessively sensitive people may experience signs of a tick bite such as:

• nausea;
• vomiting and stomach upset;
• Strong headache;
• dizziness;
• wheezing breathing;
• hallucinations.

If you are bitten by a tick, measure your body temperature every day for 10 days! Its increase 2-9 days after the bite may indicate that you have become infected with an infectious disease!

Symptoms of a tick bite

Most often, the first symptoms begin to manifest themselves 7-24 days after the bite. There have been cases where a sharp deterioration in the condition was observed after 2 months. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor your health status.

If the tick has not been infected, then the redness and itching quickly disappear without a trace, and no other symptoms appear. If the insect has been infected, then after the tick has bitten such symptoms as general weakness, chills, drowsiness, body aches, joints, photophobia, and numbness of the neck appear.

Please note that the affected area is painless, with only slight round redness.

The severity of symptoms may vary. How tick bites manifest depends on age, individual characteristics, general condition person, on the number of sucking insects.

The main symptoms of an encephalitis tick bite in humans:

• Body aches
• Frequent headaches

If you have such symptoms, you can’t put anything off; you should immediately go to the clinic.

	Description of symptoms
Temperature	One of the most common symptoms If bitten by a tick, there is an increase in body temperature. This occurs within the first hours after the bite and is an allergic reaction to insect saliva entering the body. An elevated temperature may appear after 7-10 days, when the bitten person forgets to think about the experience. If during this period it is recorded heat, this is a sign of the development of an infectious process.
Redness after bites	This symptom is characteristic of Lyme disease. The tick site is redder and resembles a ring. This can happen 3-10 days after the lesion. In some cases, a skin rash occurs. Over time, the redness after the bite changes in size and becomes much larger. Over the next 3-4 weeks, the rash begins to gradually subside and the spot may disappear completely.
Rash	The rash that occurs due to a tick bite, also known as erythema migrans (pictured), is a symptom of Lyme disease. It looks like a bright red spot with an elevated central part. It may also be dark red or blue in color, making it look like a bruise on the skin.

The earlier treatment is started, the better the prognosis. Therefore, it is important to get vaccinated on time, to insure against tick-borne encephalitis, so that injections with immunoglobulin and subsequent therapy are free of charge.

What does a tick bite look like on a person's body?

The tick attaches to the human body using a hypostome. This unpaired outgrowth performs the functions of a sensory organ, attachment and blood sucking. The most likely place for a tick to attach itself to a person from bottom to top is:

• groin area;
• stomach and lower back;
• chest, armpits, neck;
• ear area.

Bites can often manifest themselves in different ways. Let's look at the photo of what a tick bite looks like on a human body:

If, after removing the tick, a small black dot remains at the site of suction, this means that the head has come off and must be removed. To do this, the affected area is treated with alcohol and the wound is cleaned using a disinfected needle. After removing the head, you need to lubricate the wound with alcohol or iodine.

Be sure to save the tick (put it in plastic bag), so that a study can be carried out in the laboratory and it can be determined whether it was an encephalitis tick or not. The severity of the consequences for the bitten person or animal and further therapy depend on this.

It is necessary to understand that a small tick bite can lead to serious health problems. Thus, encephalitis can cause paralysis of the limbs and lead to death.

If you are close to the city, go to the emergency room immediately; specialists will remove the tick without unnecessary risk. But there is a risk of crushing it when you remove it yourself, and if the crushed tick turns out to be infected, a large amount of the virus will enter the body.

The further course depends on how quickly the person reacted to the defeat. If he ignored the symptoms and did not see a doctor, the prognosis is extremely unfavorable. The fact is that tick bites can only manifest themselves after a while.

Consequences for the body

A tick bite can cause a number of diseases in humans. Naturally, if you do not pay attention to this, serious consequences are possible.

Below is a list possible consequences tick-borne infections, in the form of lesions:

• nervous system - encephalomyelitis, various types of epilepsy, hyperkinesis, headaches, paresis, paralysis;
• joints – arthralgia, arthritis;
• cardiovascular system – arrhythmia, blood pressure surges;
• lungs - a consequence of pulmonary hemorrhages;
• kidney – nephritis, glomerulonephritis;
• liver – digestive disorders.

At severe forms These infections may result in loss of ability to self-care, decreased ability to work (up to group 1 disability), epileptic seizures and the development of dementia.

Diseases that can occur from bites

• Tick-borne encephalitis
• Tick-borne typhus
• Hemorrhagic fever

• Borreliosis. The causative agent of this disease is spirochetes, which are spread in nature, including by ticks. The disease occurs in a chronic form, affecting almost all organs and systems. When treating borreliosis (Lyme disease), antibiotics are mandatory! They are used to suppress pathogens. Lyme borreliosis is caused by a microorganism from the group of spirochetes.
• Tick-borne encephalitis. An infectious viral disease transmitted through tick bites, characterized by fever and damage to the central nervous system. The consequences of a bite from an encephalitis tick can be very disastrous. In some cases, after suffering from encephalitis, people become disabled.
• Tick-borne typhus. The rash from typhus is initially often called pink, although this first symptom appears only on fair skin. The next stage is the blanching of the rash, and later it turns red and darkens again. In severe cases of typhus, where hemorrhagic elements are visible, bleeding into the skin (petechiae) often develops.
• Hemorrhagic fever. The danger lies in severe and sometimes irreversible damage to vital organs. All people with suspected hemorrhagic fever are subject to hospitalization in the boxed department of the infectious diseases hospital.

Prevention

1. It is best to get vaccinated earlier, because after infection the vaccine is prohibited. The vaccine is indicated for those who live in a disadvantaged region and are professionally associated with the forest.
2. First of all, when going to tick habitats, you need to dress properly. Clothes should have long sleeves, trousers, and you should also put something on your head, preferably a hood. Thermal underwear can be very convenient, as it fits perfectly to the body and prevents insects from crawling into secluded places.
3. When going to an area where ticks are found, be as “armed” as possible, take all the necessary things that you will need in case of a tick bite.
4. When moving through the forest, stay in the middle of the paths, avoiding tall grass and bushes.