What is dangerous borreliosis for humans. Treatment after a bite of a baralium tick. Natural reservoir and risk factors

- an infectious disease that affects the skin, nervous system, heart, joints. A person becomes ill after being bitten by ixodid ticks, which are carriers of infectious agents. From the bite site, Borrelia spread throughout the body, damaging organs and systems.

The disease is disguised as myocarditis, meningitis, arthritis, often characterized by a flu-like onset.

Treatment in the acute stage

A disease of moderate severity and proceeding in a severe form should be treated only in stationary conditions.

It is necessary to treat borreliosis using etiotropic, pathogenetic and symptomatic therapy, the intensity of which is determined by the severity of the disease.

Etiotropic therapy for this infection are antibiotics. Antibiotic therapy at different stages of the disease:

• initial - tetracyclines;
• with complications - penicillins, cephalosporins;
• chronic stage - prolonged penicillins.

With a mild form of the disease and the absence of complications in adults and older children, the drugs are taken orally. Tetracycline antibiotics (doxycycline, unidox solutab) are used for two weeks. With their intolerance and young children, amoxicillin and its derivatives can be prescribed.

With a more severe course, the presence of complications from the joints, the nervous and cardiovascular systems, the treatment of borreliosis is complex. First of all, cephalosporin antibiotics are needed (ceftriaxone is now more commonly used). They are administered intramuscularly or intravenously for 7-10 days. According to the indications, the duration of the course can be increased.

The attending physician will calculate the duration of the course, the dose depending on the severity of the patient's condition, as well as based on the age and weight of the child.

Symptomatic therapy

Borreliosis treatment without fail includes the following components:

• detoxification (intravenous administration of glucose, salt and protein solutions);
• hormonal and nootropic therapy (with complications from the nervous system);
• vascular agents and antioxidants (to improve microcirculation and metabolism);
• vitamins, including group B;
• desensitizing drugs (to exclude allergic reactions against the background of massive drug therapy);
• trace elements (potassium and magnesium preparations);
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (with complications from the joints);
• Exercise therapy, acupuncture, massage, physiotherapy (at the stage of recovery).

Dynamic laboratory control is important: tests should be taken 10 days after the bite and again after 2-3 weeks to determine the effectiveness of therapy.

If the infection was cured and the person was discharged from the hospital, he should be under dispensary observation at the place of residence. For two years, children and adults are observed by an infectious disease specialist, they take blood tests to monitor the level of antibodies to Borrelia quarterly. This is necessary to avoid process synchronization. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe a second course of antibiotics and other therapeutic measures. It must be remembered that the indicators of microbiological and serological examinations are often not unambiguous, which is why medical supervision by specialists of various profiles is so important.

It is necessary to start treating borreliosis as quickly as possible in order to exclude the transition of the disease into a chronic form. This is especially often due to an incorrectly selected dose or an unreasonably short course of antibiotic treatment at the onset of the disease.

Therapy in the chronic stage

Chronic borreliosis often requires a repeated course of long and intensive antibiotic therapy.

Chronic borreliosis excludes the use of doxycycline due to its inefficiency. Treatment of the chronic stage of infection involves the appointment of more potent drugs. The most commonly used are cephalosporins, which are administered intramuscularly or intravenously over several weeks. It is possible to use prolonged penicillins (including retarpen, bicillin).

Chronic borreliosis requires dynamic observation and regular examination. Every three months, serological tests are carried out to detect antibodies against Borrelia. If within six months after the bite they are positive, antibiotic therapy should be more intensive and prolonged, especially if symptoms of the disease persist.

It is impossible to focus only on the results of laboratory and instrumental research. When prescribing repeated courses of treatment, the doctor is guided by the patient's complaints, manifestations of the disease. There should be dispensary observation by specialists of different profiles. If necessary, re-hospitalization is carried out.

Borreliosis is a dangerous disease with various manifestations. In no case should you self-medicate! Only a doctor can diagnose a disease, choose methods of treatment and the exact dosage of drugs.

Infection prevention

For any infectious disease, there is a non-specific and specific prevention.

Non-specific measures to prevent infection

Non-specific prevention of borreliosis includes the following:

• fight against ixodid ticks;
• knowledge of the risk of infection;
• the use of special protective equipment (repellents, properly selected clothing).

Spraying chemicals to kill ticks

Much attention should be paid to creating conditions unfavorable for the life of ticks. The forest and plantings within the city should be periodically cleared of dead wood, undersized shrubs, the grass should be mowed regularly. In regions unfavorable in terms of epidemic indicators, in places of organized recreation for children and adults, deratization should be carried out using chemical agents.

It is important to have information about the prevalence of ticks in a particular area, how they attack a person.

Going into the forest, you need to dress properly. The jacket must be tightly buttoned, trousers tucked into boots, a hood is put on the head, sleeves are provided with cuffs.

That is, you need to use clothing that would make it difficult for ticks to get on the body and the likelihood of a bite. There are special anti-tick protective clothing for foresters and rescuers.

It is advisable not only to dress properly, but also to treat clothes with special insecticides (Taiga, Redet, Permet). In this case, it is necessary to strictly follow the instructions for the use of repellents.

Emergency prophylaxis with antibiotics

Specific prevention of borreliosis in our country has not yet been developed - in Russia there is no vaccine against this disease. Therefore, if a person has been bitten by a tick, the prevention of borreliosis often comes down to the emergency prescription of antibiotics.

Prevention of tick-borne borreliosis with antibacterial drugs should be carried out in the following cases:

• the fact of a bite in an unfavorable area for this disease was established;
• Borrelia were detected in the extracted tick using special microscopy methods.

Positive serological tests in the victim (PCR, NRIF, ELISA) appear 2-3 weeks after the bite. But signs of infection that require medical intervention may occur much earlier.

Before starting emergency antibiotic prophylaxis, you need to make sure that there is no intolerance to the prescribed drugs. During the entire course of treatment, a person should be under the supervision of a doctor.

The use of antibiotics should begin no later than five days after the tick bite.

Usually, drugs of the penicillin, tetracycline series are prescribed, macrolides are often used. These drugs accumulate in the skin. Therefore, they can have the maximum effect on the source of infection even in the incubation period and stop the development of the disease.

Doxycycline is effective for 5 days. Treatment is extended to 10 days if more than three days have passed since the bite.

Sumamed is often prescribed. Prolonged penicillins and their derivatives (bicillin, amoxiclav) can be used. It is possible to use erythromycin, chloramphenicol in the dosages corresponding to the severity of the condition and age.

If adequate antibiotic therapy is prescribed by a doctor in the early period, then this will stop the progression of the disease and prevent the development of chronic borreliosis.

People should know why tick bites are dangerous, what are the main symptoms of borreliosis and its consequences, in order to take action in time.

Tick-borne borreliosis, Lyme borreliosis, Lim's disease are the names of one pathology that affects the nervous, cardiovascular systems, skin and musculoskeletal system. The disease proceeds for a long time in an acute or chronic form with different variants of clinical manifestations. Symptoms of Lyme pathology are due to the reaction of the immune system to the penetration of bacteria into the human body.

What is Lyme disease

Tick-borne borreliosis is an infectious vector-borne disease caused by five types of bacteria of the spirochaete type of the genus Borrelia. Lyme disease is a common tick-borne infection in the Northern Hemisphere. Early manifestations of the disease are headaches, fever, skin rash. If there is a genetic predisposition, then after the bite of an infected ixodid flare, the heart, nervous system, joints, and eyes are involved in the pathological process.

The outcome of Lim's disease largely depends on the correctness and timeliness of the diagnosis. In most cases, the symptomatology is completely stopped by antibacterial drugs. Late initiation of treatment and / or incorrect therapy can lead to a chronic course of the disease, which is difficult to cure. The late stage of the disease can result in disability or even death for a person.

The reasons

Lyme disease is caused by a spirochete, a gram-negative bacterium that has a spiral shape with a rotational slow motion. In addition to infected ticks, birds, dogs, rodents, small and large cattle become carriers of the pathogen. The main mechanism of infection transmission is transmissible. The pathogen enters the bloodstream with the feces or saliva of the carrier. Sometimes there is an alimentary route of infection when raw milk (mainly goat) is consumed. Transplacental transmission of infection from a pregnant woman to a fetus has also been proven.

Classification

Lyme syndrome is distinguished by the form of the disease: latent and manifest. The first is diagnosed by chance only according to the results of laboratory tests. In this case, the disease does not show any symptoms. The manifest form is confirmed by the presence of clinical signs. By the nature of the pathological process, tick-borne borreliosis is divided into types. There is a chronic, subacute and acute course of the disease.

If the pathological process lasts more than 6 months, affecting the nervous system, heart, joints, then this is a chronic form of the disease. In the subacute course of the disease, symptoms similar to acute last from 3 months to six months. If there is damage to the skin, central nervous and cardiovascular systems for up to 3 months, this is an acute period of infection. Also, Lyme disease is classified according to signs of infection (seronegative, seropositive) and stages:

• the first is a local infection occurring in an erythemal or non-erythemic form;
• the second is dissemination (the spread of the pathogen throughout the body);
• the third is persistence (degeneration into arthritis, acrodermatitis and other diseases).

Symptoms of Lyme disease in humans

The incubation period for Lyme disease ranges from 2 to 50 days. In rare cases, the disease manifests itself within a few months, and sometimes years. After the incubation period, symptoms of the disease begin to appear, caused by a combination of immunopathological reactions. Tick-borne borreliosis is characterized by a staged course, therefore, three degrees of infection are distinguished, each of which differs in its clinical picture. The early period of the pathological process is stages 1 and 2, manifested by an acute form. The late phase of the disease is stage 3, which can last for years.

First stage

A distinctive feature of the first stage of borreliosis is erythema, which appears at the site of a tick bite. First, a small bubble appears, from which redness spreads around the perimeter, forming a rim. The diameter of the erythema gradually increases, so doctors call it migratory. Sometimes an oval or round inflamed area itches, there is a burning sensation, pronounced soreness.

In addition to erythema, urticaria, rash, ring-shaped and punctate rashes sometimes appear on the skin. Vesicles and areas of necrosis may occur. In the first stage, 8% of patients show symptoms of encephalopathy (brain cell damage):

• nausea, vomiting;
• chills;
• headache;
• mild photophobia;
• increased sensitivity of the skin;
• legs pressed to the stomach;
• the head is thrown back due to the strong tension of the occipital muscles.

Second stage

1-3 months after the onset of the first symptoms of Lyme disease, the second stage of the infection develops, in which the heart or nervous system is affected. Depending on which organ is involved in the pathological process, cardiac or neurological problems appear. The defeat of the central nervous system is characterized by the development of meningitis, meningoencephalitis, which are combined with peripheral radiculopathy and cranial nerve paresis.

A person has repeated vomiting, severe headache, tension of the occipital muscles. These symptoms are accompanied by disorders of memory, sleep, attention, emotional lability. If the heart is affected, then the disease proceeds according to the type of pericarditis, myocarditis or atrioventricular blockade. Against the background of cardiac problems, the patient develops the following symptoms:

• dizziness;
• constricting pains in the sternum;
• dyspnea;
• heartbeat.

Third stage

Lyme disease enters the third stage 3-6 months after the completion of the 2nd degree of the pathological process. At its core, this transition means incomplete phagocytosis and chronic infection, which can last for several years. The third stage is characterized by the occurrence of atrophic acrodermatitis, arthritis, neurological syndromes similar to manifestations of neurosyphilis. Joint damage occurs in three forms: migratory pain (arthralgia), benign recurrent arthritis and chronic progressive osteoporosis.

Over time, chronic axonal polyradiculopathy develops, which is characterized by the following symptoms:

• decrease or loss of tendon reflexes;
• weakness of the muscles of the lower extremities;
• dry skin;
• sensory disturbance in the extremities;
• violation of the coordinated work of the blood flow, resulting in attacks of hypotension, palpitations, impotence.

Complications

If the bacterium is not killed by antibiotics at the first stage of the disease, when the pathological process has spread only to the skin, then over time the infection penetrates through the blood and lymph into all systems and organs of the human body. The difficulty of diagnosis lies in the fact that the symptoms of borreliosis often appear only at a late stage of the disease. In some cases, the consequences become irreversible. The most severe complications of infection:

• inflammation of the meninges;
• damage to the facial nerve;
• chronic inflammation of the brain;
• psychosis;
• photophobia;
• dementia;
• impaired concentration;
• deterioration of vision, hearing;
• appetite disturbance, anorexia
• development of benign lymphocytoma of the skin.

Diagnostics

To make a diagnosis, it is necessary to collect an epidemiological history and study the early symptoms of tick-borne borreliosis. The doctor takes into account the following factors:

• visits by the patient to epidemic areas of ticks (parks, forests);
• the fact of a tick bite;
• the presence of rashes, erythema;
• spring-summer period;
• increase in body temperature;
• neck muscle tension;
• inflammatory processes in the joints.

In addition to collecting an anamnesis, laboratory tests are needed:

• General blood analysis. In the acute course of the disease, the ESR is increased.
• Study of the cerebrospinal fluid. If the patient has nausea, vomiting, and stiffness of the neck muscles, a puncture is performed for bacteriological analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid.
• Serological ELISA method. Enzyme immunoassay helps to detect latent and acute infections in the body, to detect antibodies to Borrelia.
• PCR diagnostics. The polymer chain reaction allows the identification of bacterial DNA for research purposes.

Lyme Disease Treatment

In mild forms of the pathological process, etiotropic and pathogenetic therapy is carried out on an outpatient basis. Lyme disease of the third degree requires hospitalization of the patient. In both cases, continuous antibiotics are prescribed from 14 to 21 days. If the first course of antibiotic therapy does not give the desired result, then a second treatment is prescribed, but with a different antibacterial drug, which can last another 30 days.

Against the background of prolonged use of antibiotics, an exacerbation of the symptoms of spirochetosis can be observed due to the release of endotoxins into the blood and the death of Borrelia. In this case, taking antibacterial drugs should be stopped for a while. After a few days, the course of antibiotic treatment is resumed, but the drugs are prescribed at a lower dosage.

When a mixed infection (lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis) is detected, immunoglobulin (anti-tick gamma globulin) is used together with antibiotics. To speed up the elimination of toxins, doctors additionally prescribe antioxidants (Resveratrol, Bifidum), vascular drugs (Ginkgo biloba, Vinpocetine). For optimal rehabilitation, the patient is recommended to undergo a course of massage, physiotherapy exercises and oxygenation.

initial stage

In the first degree of the disease, passing without damage to the internal organs and in the presence of erythema, aminopenicillins (Amoxiclav, Amoxicillin) and tetracyclines (Doxycycline, Oxytetracycline) are administered orally. Antibiotic therapy, started at an early stage, will not allow further progression of borreliosis. Antibiotics are prescribed by the course on an individual basis. The average dosage is 100-200 mg / day, divided into two doses. The course of treatment is from 14 to 21 days.

In violation of the functions of the nervous system

Almost half of the patients with Lyme borreliosis have a lesion of the nervous system when the disease enters the second stage. Antibiotic treatment is carried out by intravenous administration. Penicillin and cephalosporins (Ceftaroline, Ceftobiprol) are prescribed. The duration of the course is 2-3 weeks. Against the background of antibiotic therapy, neurological symptoms almost always undergo regression.

Additionally, drugs are prescribed that affect the metabolism of brain cells, microcirculation and vascular tone (Cellex, Carnitex). They are taken orally or injected subcutaneously for 10 days (for pathologies of moderate severity). If necessary, it is permissible to repeat the course after 10 days. Analgesics (Baralgetas, Spasmalgon) and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ketonal, Nurofen) are used to control the pain syndrome for up to 5 days in a row.

With cardiac injury

If cardiac myocardial damage develops against the background of Lyme borreliosis, then, in addition to antibiotic therapy (Doxycycline, Vancomycin), it is advisable to use cardiac glycosides (Strophanthin, Korglikon). To avoid thromboembolic complications, anticoagulants (Warfarin, Curantil) are prescribed. To improve the metabolism in the myocardium, metabolic therapy is needed (Asparkam, Riboxin, Potassium Orotate). If this therapy does not give the desired results, the patient is prescribed immunosuppressants (Cyclosporine) and glucocorticosteroids (Prednisolone).

For arthritis

In Lyme disease, arthritis often affects the hips, ankles, wrists, and elbows. Treat him with oral antibiotics (Doxycycline, Amoxicillin) for 4 weeks. If arthritis persists after antibiotic therapy, then it is necessary to carry out antirheumatic treatment, which consists in prescribing non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Movalis, Celebrex) and corticosteroids (Celeston, Decdan), which are injected directly into the joint. The dosage and course of treatment is prescribed by the doctor individually.

Forecast

Tick-borne borreliosis, diagnosed at an early stage, has a favorable prognosis. Preventive antibiotic therapy prevents the transition of the disease into a chronic or disseminated phase. With late diagnosis and severe lesions of the central nervous system, persistent residual phenomena develop that can lead to disability or death. After the end of treatment, patients who have recovered from barreliosis should be registered with a neurologist, infectious disease specialist, arthrologist and cardiologist for a year in order to exclude the chronicity of Lyme pathology.

Prevention of Lyme disease

Measures to prevent infection with spirochetal infection:

• when visiting forests, wear clothing that protects the entire body as much as possible;
• use repellents that repel blood-sucking insects;
• after a walk, you need to carefully examine the skin for the introduction of flares;
• if an insect is found, it must be removed with tweezers;
• if you cannot remove the tick yourself, you need to contact the nearest emergency room for appropriate manipulation by the doctor;
• even in the absence of any manifestations of infection, it is necessary to take a blood test for the presence of antibodies to the pathogen no later than 3-4 weeks after the bite.

Video

Learn more about the symptoms and consequences of borreliosis. This is an infectious disease that is transmitted through the bite of a tick. The skin, nervous system, heart and joints are affected. Timely treatment leads to a quick recovery.

Borreliosis - symptoms and consequences

Symptoms of borreliosis in adults are completely dependent on the stage of the disease. In general, the disease can be divided into three stages. Of these, the first two are an early period, the last is an advanced form of the disease. Consider the symptoms characteristic of each stage separately.

Early stage:

• a sharp rise in temperature;
• the appearance of chills;
• possible poisoning;
• at the site of the bite, there is a red spot with a white middle, ring-shaped;
• swollen lymph nodes;
• the bite area hurts and itches.

These symptomatic manifestations can persist for thirty days.

It is worth noting that the main symptom of the disease is precisely the bright red spot, which increases in size every day.

Other symptoms may come and go.

The second stage appears:

• fear of the world;
• insomnia;
• regular weakness;
• headaches;
• irritability;
• apathy;
• damage to the facial nerves.

The third stage of the disease occurs six months after the bite, the chronic form after two years. In the chronic period, damage to the articular limbs, skin and nervous system is observed. The progression of the disease can flare up sharply and suddenly be extinguished.

Sufficiently dangerous consequences can be expressed in the disease in the later stages of progression. In most cases, this is due to the lack of proper therapy.

The most terrible consequences of borreliosis are:

• nervous breakdowns, which over time can lead to dementia;
• loss of vision and hearing;
• serious heart problems;
• joint diseases (arthritis);
• development of a benign tumor in the bite area.

The consequences of borreliosis are very dangerous for children. Since the child's body is not yet fully formed, the immune system does not fight infections properly.

Causes of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease was discovered in 1970 as a result of studying the symptomatic manifestations of arthritis. To date, scientists have studied the causative agents of borreliosis and related bacteria. The natural vessel is wild animals and birds, the carrier is the ixodid tick.

The main cause of borreliosis in humans is a tick bite.

Also, infection can occur as a result of rubbing insect feces that have fallen on the wounded areas of the skin.

Infection can occur when the tick is removed. One of the most dangerous periods for tick infestation is the spring and autumn seasons. At this time, insects are especially active.

Diagnostic measures for tick-borne pathology

The characteristic symptoms of tick-borne borreliosis make it possible to determine the disease at various stages. A key indicator is a reddened spot (erythema), which can take on any shape and color.

Diagnosis includes a number of laboratory and instrumental examinations.

Infected with a tick, a person is assigned to surrender:

• general analysis of blood and urine;
• sowing from the affected skin area;
• enzyme immunoassay;
• antibody tests;
• spinal puncture;
• MRI of the brain;
• ultrasound examination of the joints;

Principles of treatment of borreliosis in adults

Therapy for Lyme disease will depend entirely on the stage of the disease. The most effective treatment is considered the period of stage 1.

Specialists work in two directions:

1. Etiotropic (influence directly on the pathogen). Treatment involves the use of antibiotics inside: tetracycline, doxycycline, flemoxin, cefuroxime. The course of therapy is two weeks. It is necessary to follow the exact prescription of the doctor. Reducing or reducing the dosage is unacceptable.
2. Symptomatic (therapy of affected organs).

In the second stage, antibiotics are used enterally. The drug enters the bloodstream and has a detrimental effect on the infection. Penicillin or ceftriaxone is prescribed. The course of treatment is at least 21 days. Almost ninety percent of patients are cured of tick-borne borreliosis.

In the third stage, the duration of antibiotic use is thirty days. In most cases, the doctor prescribes the administration of penicillin drugs.

During the treatment process, the patient is given about 220 injections. If after the use of antibiotics there is no improvement, the antibiotic is replaced by another one.

With symptomatic treatment, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antiallergic and cardiac drugs are used. A vitamin complex is also prescribed.

Video

Effective ointments and creams

To date, pharmaceutical companies offer a huge range of all kinds of medicines that effectively fight ticks. Most people use topical cream formulations that are applied to the skin. Ointments and creams have different effects. They can simply scare away the insect or destroy it.

Treatment of borreliosis with antibiotics can completely cure this disease, especially in the early stages of the progression of the disease. Some patients (despite antibiotic treatment) have symptomatic signs of arthritis in advanced, advanced stages.

Children, as well as adults, with borreliosis are prescribed the use of an antibiotic, with the exception of the drug "Doxycycline". The dosage of the drug should correspond to the weight parameters of the patient.

For each stage of the disease and symptoms, a different antibiotic is used:

1. With early progression of Lyme disease, Amoxicillin is prescribed by a specialist. The remedy is applied orally three times a day. Depending on the complexity of the diagnosis, the drug may be prescribed every eight hours. The course of treatment is 12-20 days. Also antibiotics "Doxycilin" (taken in the morning and evening), "Cefuroxime" (twice a day) and "Azithromycin" (take the medicine at bedtime, the course of therapy is seven days) are also of considerable effectiveness.
2. For neurological disorders, the following are used: Ceftriaxone (once a day), Benzylpenicillin (every 5-6 hours), Doxycycline (no more than twice a day), Chloramphenicol (4-5 times a day).
3. With lesions of the heart vessels, it is prescribed: "Cefrtiaxone", "Penicillin", "Doxycycline", "Amoxicillin".
4. For arthritis, the specialist prescribes the following antibiotic drugs: Amoxicillin (at least four times a day), Doxycycline (twice a day, for thirty days), Ceftriaxone (no more than once a day), Penicillin (once a day).

Help of folk remedies

Lyme disease requires mandatory comprehensive treatment. Traditional medicine acts as an additional measure to medical therapeutic measures.

Consider the most effective folk recipes used for borreliosis:

1. Purchase fresh grass caps (100 grams), fill the plant with one liter of hot, boiled water. After the medicinal mixture has cooled, it should be filtered. Reception is carried out daily, before meals. The dose of tincture is 100 grams.
2. Strawberry leaves (50 grams) filled with boiling water (400 grams) will help to overcome the tick. The broth is infused for 5-6 hours, filtered. The mixture is taken three times a day, 60-70 grams, forty minutes before meals. The course of therapy is 30-35 days.
3. Mix valerian root, oregano, hawthorn flowers, calendula, black elderberry, blackberry, St. John's wort, horsetail flower and lime, in equal amounts of 20 grams. Add thyme (10 grams) to the herbs. Mix all the ingredients and add boiled water substance (600 ml). Green mass should be infused for at least 35-45 minutes. After that, strain the broth and proceed to the reception. The medicinal mixture is used on an empty stomach 4-5 times a day, 50 grams each.
4. Plants containing silicon perfectly eliminate infectious agents. You can use: borage, nettle, horsetail and comfrey. To prepare a medicinal drug, take 2 tbsp. spoons of any of the listed herbs, pour one liter of boiled water. The mixture should be infused for 60 minutes. After that, the medicine is ready for use. Drink the decoction should be hot. The course of therapy is six months, and monthly alternation of herbs is necessary.
5. In Lyme disease, the liver is severely affected. To activate it, and cleanse the blood vessels and lymph, you should use herbal teas made from: tansy, immortelle, wormwood, yarrow and elecampane. Recipe: 2 tbsp. spoons of any of the presented plants pour one liter of boiling water, leave for thirty minutes. Reception is carried out three times a day, 125 grams in one gulp.

Features of nutrition of patients

Borreliosis greatly depresses the body. A person constantly feels weakness, depression, pain in the joints. Therefore, the key to a quick recovery is peace, the absence of overwork and stressful situations.

For a complete cure, the patient needs protein intake (in large quantities). The largest amount of this substance is found in chicken meat, turkey and fish. Filtered water, fresh juice, tea (green) will also improve the functioning of the liver.

The daily diet for borreliosis should include fruits, vegetables, herbs, juices from fresh berries, sauerkraut. Klondike vitamin is found in cranberries, cherries, lingonberries and currants, they will support the immune system.

Fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk) are capable of normalizing the intestinal microflora. Drink the presented drinks should be at least twice a day. They will help to remove toxins and waste from the body.

With neurological symptoms, fatty fish, cottage cheese products, lean chicken meat, homemade chicken eggs are included in the diet. Flaxseed and pumpkin oil are very useful. Daily intake is 100 grams.

Palm oil, pickled herring, sesame seeds, peanuts, roasted pistachios and beef will help increase efficiency and energy.

There is currently no vaccine to protect against Lyme disease.

Therefore, the only preventive methods of protection against ticks are caution and care:

If, nevertheless, a tick bite was committed, to prevent Lyme disease, the antibiotic "Doxycycline" (100 mg, once a day, for five days) and "Ceftriaxone" (1000 mg, once a day for three days) should be taken . The presented antibiotic agents are able to protect the body from infection with borreliz.

Borreliosis - symptoms, consequences, treatment

For the first time, the study of the disease began in 1975 in the town of Lyme (USA).

The cause of the disease is tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease). The causative agents of tick-borne borreliosis are spirochetes of the Borrelia genus. The pathogen is closely related to ixodid ticks and their natural hosts. The commonality of carriers for pathogens of ixodid tick-borne borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis viruses causes the presence of ticks, and therefore in patients, cases of mixed infection.

Geographic distribution of tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease) extensively, it is found on all continents (except Antarctica). Consider very endemic (constant manifestation of this disease in a certain area) Leningrad, Tver, Yaroslavl, Kostroma, Kaliningrad, Perm, Tyumen regions, as well as the Ural, West Siberian and Far Eastern regions for ixodid tick-borne borreliosis. On the territory of the Leningrad region, the main keepers and carriers of Borrelia are the taiga and European forest ticks. Infection by causative agents of Lyme disease of ticks - vectors in different natural foci can vary in a wide range (from 5-10 to 70-90%).

A patient with tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease) is not contagious to others.

The developmental process of Lyme disease. Infection with tick-borne borreliosis occurs when bitten by an infected tick. Borrelia with tick saliva enter the skin and multiply within a few days, after which they spread to other areas of the skin and internal organs (heart, brain, joints, etc.). Borrelia can persist in the human body for a long time (years), causing a chronic and relapsing course of the disease. The chronic course of the disease may develop after a long period of time. The process of development of the disease in borreliosis is similar to the process of development of syphilis.

Signs of Lyme disease. The incubation period of tick-borne borreliosis is from 2 to 30 days, on average - 2 weeks.
A characteristic sign of the onset of the disease in 70% of cases is the appearance of reddening of the skin at the site of a tick bite. The red spot gradually increases along the periphery, reaching 1-10 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 60 cm or more. The shape of the spot is round or oval, less often irregular. The outer edge of the inflamed skin is more intensely red, slightly elevated above the level of the skin. Over time, the central part of the spot turns pale or acquires a bluish tint, a ring shape is created. At the site of the tick bite, in the center of the spot, a crust is determined, then a scar. The stain without treatment persists for 2-3 weeks, then disappears.

After 1-1.5 months, signs of damage to the nervous system, heart, and joints develop.

Recognizing Lyme disease. The appearance of a red spot at the site of a tick bite gives reason to think primarily about Lyme disease. A blood test is done to confirm the diagnosis.
Treatment of tick-borne borreliosis should be carried out in an infectious diseases hospital, where, first of all, therapy is carried out aimed at the destruction of borrelias. Without such treatment, the disease progresses, becomes chronic, and in some cases leads to disability.

Treatment of tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease). With an increase in the titer of specific antibodies and the absence of clinical manifestations of the disease after the bite of an infected tick, antibiotic therapy is not carried out. In case of early infection (in the presence of migrating erythema), doxycycline (0.1 g 2 times a day orally) or amoxicillin (0.5-1 g orally 3 times a day) are used, the duration of therapy is 20-30 days. With the development of carditis, meningitis, antibiotics are administered parenterally (ceftriaxone IV 2 g 1 time per day, benzylpenicillin IV 20 million units per day in 4 injections); the duration of therapy is 14-30 days.

The prognosis for life is favorable, but disability is possible due to damage to the nervous system and joints.

Those who have been ill are under medical supervision for 2 years and are examined after 3, 6, 12 months and after 2 years.

Prevention of Lyme disease. The fight against ticks plays a leading role in the prevention of Lyme disease, where both indirect measures (protective) and their direct extermination in nature are used.

Protection in endemic foci can be achieved with the help of special anti-tick suits with rubber cuffs, zippers, etc. For these purposes, ordinary clothes can be adapted by tucking a shirt and trousers, the latter into boots, tightly fitting cuffs, etc. From the attack of ticks on open areas of the body for 3-4 hours, various repellents - repellents can protect.

When bitten by a tick as soon as possible - better the next day, you should go to the infectious diseases hospital with the tick removed to examine it for the presence of Borrelia. In order to prevent Lyme disease after a bite by an infected tick, it is recommended to take doxycycline 1 tablet (0.1 g) 2 times a day for 5 days (children under 12 years of age are not prescribed).

Test for tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease)- the test is quite simple, it can be carried out in the doctor's office without resorting to the services of a laboratory, and in an hour you will get the result, approved by the Food and Drug Administration / FDA / USA.

Test" Preview"based on a drug that the company manufactures" Chembio Diagnostic Systems The test "recognizes" the antigens produced by Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes the infection, in a timely manner to detect the presence of an infection and make a correct diagnosis, the FDA said in a statement.

Tick-borne borreliosis, or Lyme disease, has many features in common with tick-borne encephalitis. In Russia, in 1999, Lyme disease was detected in 89 large administrative territories, writes AiF. Health. This means that a significant or possibly even large part of the worldwide range of infections that now appear under the general name " tick-borne borreliosis"are located within Russia.
The incidence of Lyme disease in the Russian Federation is 1.7-3.5 per 100 thousand population. You can get Lyme disease at any age. Adult ixodid ticks infect humans with Borrelia. The incidence of Lyme disease is much higher than tick-borne encephalitis. Lyme disease dangerous because it is much more likely than tick-borne encephalitis, gives chronic forms. Adults and the elderly are more severely ill, due to the presence of concomitant chronic pathology (atherosclerosis, hypertension). No deaths from Lyme disease have been reported to date.

In autumn and spring, a large number of insects are activated, which can carry viruses dangerous to humans. Tick-borne borreliosis is a consequence of the bite of a tick that transmits the pathogen. At the first symptoms of the disease, it is necessary to go to the hospital, because in the first stages it is easier to cure the pathology and prevent the transition to a chronic migratory form.

What is tick-borne borreliosis

This dangerous disease has several names, in medicine it is called Lyme disease or Lyme borreliosis. This is an infectious disease that is transmitted by the bite of an ixodid tick. The disease manifests itself in the form of damage to the skin, joints, nervous system, heart and other organs. If in the early stages it was possible to notice signs of borreliosis, then complete recovery can be achieved with the help of antibacterial agents.

If the diagnosis was carried out in the later stages, an inadequate treatment regimen was prescribed, then Lyme borreliosis can turn into a chronic and intractable form. The name of the disease comes from the pathogen - Borrelia, which is transmitted by ticks. Lyme disease is called pathology, because in 1975 cases of the manifestation of the disease were recorded in the small town of Lyme in the United States.

The causative agent of borreliosis

The borreliosis tick becomes the carrier of pathogenic microorganisms; three types of borrelias cause the development of the disease:

• Borrelia garinii;
• Borrelia burgdorferi;
• Borrelia afzelii.

• Far East;
• Western Siberia;
• Ural;
• central regions of Russia;
• some regions of Europe.

In these zones, infection with the Ixodes tick virus is up to 60%, according to scientists. The peak of infection with tick-borne Lyme borreliosis occurs at the end of spring and the beginning of summer. This is dictated by the increased activity of ticks during this period. A person does not have protection against pathological microorganisms of this type, has a high susceptibility to Borrelia, therefore, when bitten, there is a high risk of infection.

Human immunity begins to produce antibodies against pathological microorganisms, but even at high titers, the body does not have the ability to completely destroy the virus. With the development of tick-borne borreliosis, immune complexes are formed that can provoke an autoimmune process (specific antibodies begin to attack useful body tissues). This can provoke chronic borreliosis. When the pathogen dies, toxic substances are released into the body, which aggravate the patient's well-being.

Symptoms

If you have time to notice the symptoms of borreliosis in time, you can significantly increase the chances of a complete recovery of the patient, reduce the time of therapy and avoid dangerous consequences from the pathology. Symptoms of the disease vary depending on the stage, there are three of them:

At this stage, symptoms appear at the general and local level. The first include the following manifestations:

• chills;
• nausea;
• an increase in body temperature up to 38 degrees;
• general malaise;
• vomit;
• rarely there is a runny nose, coughing and sore throat.

Local manifestations include swelling at the site of a tick bite, redness, itching and soreness. An annular erythema appears, which is a specific sign of borreliosis, present in 70% of patients. At the site of the bite of the skin, a dense red formation (papule) appears, gradually it grows on the sides and takes the form of a ring. In the very center, the skin color is paler, the rim of the circle has a rich red color, the formation is slightly raised above the surface of healthy nearby skin.

Erythema takes a round or oval shape, diameter - 10-60 mm. Sometimes the appearance of small rings inside a large ring is noted, more often this happens if the size of the swelling is large. Often, erythema does not cause discomfort to the patient, but in some cases there have been complaints that it bakes and itches. Often this reaction of the body to a bite becomes the only symptom of a tick-borne infection in the first stage of borreliosis, no common signs are observed.

Secondary erythema is rarely observed (appear where there was no bite). The swelling lasts from several days to several months, the average value is 30 days. Then it passes on its own, and pigmentation and peeling remain at the site of the bite. Other manifestations include the following reactions:

• development of conjunctivitis;
• hives;
• skin rash;
• soreness of the lymph nodes;
• stiff neck muscles;
• migratory joint and muscle pain.

II stage

This period can last from several days to several months. This stage is characterized by damage to the joints, heart, skin and nervous system. By this stage, all previous symptoms of the first stage disappear. In some situations, tick-borne infection begins immediately from the second stage, erythema ring does not appear and there is no general infectious syndrome. When the nervous system is disturbed, the following processes occur:

• damage to the cranial nerves;
• serous meningitis;
• damage to the roots of the spinal nerves;

Inflammation of the meninges or serous meningitis causes the following symptoms:

• photophobia;
• severe headache;
• moderate tension of the occipital muscles;
• hypersensitivity to irritating factors;
• significant fatigue;
• possible insomnia, impaired attention, memory.

In case of violation of the functionality of the nerves, the facial one often suffers. Signs of this syndrome include involuntary complete closure of the eyes, a distorted facial expression, food falls out of the mouth. Often the lesion occurs on both sides of the face, as a rule, one first suffers, then the second. When infected with a tick-borne infection, the prognosis for recovery is good. Sometimes the auditory, optic, oculomotor nerves are also involved in the process, which manifests itself in the form of hearing and vision impairment, and strabismus develops.

When the spinal nerves are infected, a person experiences severe shooting pains. At the level of the body, they are girdle in nature, and in the limbs they have a direction from top to bottom. In the absence of treatment, muscle damage (paresis) joins these symptoms after 1-2 weeks, tendon reflexes, and sensory disorders fall out. In some cases, infection of the nervous system is accompanied by the following symptoms:

• shakiness, instability;
• speech disorders;
• involuntary movements;
• swallowing disorders;
• trembling of the limbs;
• epileptic seizures.

At this stage, joint damage is characterized by recurrent monoarthritis or oligoarthritis. The hip, knee, elbow, and ankle joints are often affected. There are restrictions of mobility, severe pain. With damage to the heart, physicians distinguish several clinical forms:

• conduction disorders of the heart, for example, atrioventricular blockade;
• pericarditis and myocarditis - are manifested by shortness of breath, palpitations, heart failure.

In the second stage, skin disorders have a variety of manifestations. The most common symptoms of this nature:

• secondary small ring erythema;
• rash like urticaria;
• lymphocytoma (a specific sign of borreliosis).

III stage

It comes after a few months, sometimes years pass after a tick infection enters the human body. There are several typical manifestations for this stage for diagnosing:

• chronic arthritis develops;
• lesions of the nervous system: polyneuropathy, tick-borne encephalitis, encephalomyelitis;
• atrophic acrodermatitis.

Often, borreliosis affects only one of the systems of the body, therefore, lesions of either the skin, or the compositions, or the nervous system are noted. Over time, the possibility of a combined lesion is noted. Chronic arthritis affects both small and large joints. The pathology is characterized by relapses, therefore, gradual deformation occurs, cartilage tissue becomes thinner, osteoporosis develops in bone structures. Nearby muscles are involved (chronic myositis). Atrophically, acrodermatitis manifests itself as follows:

• bluish red spots on the elbows, soles, back of the hands;
• swelling, thickening of the skin in the affected areas;
• when the process recurs, atrophy of the skin occurs, they become similar to tissue paper.

The nervous system in the third stage reacts in a peculiar way to the spread of infection. Symptoms include the following manifestations in different areas:

• coordinating - imbalance;
• sensitive - various kinds of pain, increased or decreased sensitivity, paresthesia;
• motor - paresis;
• mental - impaired thinking, memory, weakening of the intellect;
• emotional - depression, lethargy.

Borreliosis in children

As a rule, pathology is diagnosed in children older than 7 years. A preschool child is rarely affected by a tick-borne infection, even after an insect (carrier) bite. Clinical manifestations and the nature of the course coincide with adults, but children often develop symptoms of meningitis, as a sign of damage to the nervous system. Older people are more likely to develop peripheral nephropathy. Due to damage to the central nervous system, the child may have asthenovegetative reactions after recovery:

• sleep disorders;
• increased excitability;
• mood instability.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis is based on clinical findings and should include a history of tick bite and erythema annulare. The final decision is made on the basis of laboratory research methods. In cases where swelling does not appear, and the first stage proceeds without obvious symptoms, tests remain the only reliable method.

It is difficult to identify microorganisms (borrelia) in humans. You can find them in the affected fluids and tissues of the body. Material for research can be taken from the edge of erythema, with lymphocytoma and atrophic acrodermatitis, they take a piece of skin using a biopsy, cerebrospinal fluid or blood. The effectiveness of such laboratory tests is no more than 50%. Doctors use indirect diagnostic methods:

1. The polymerase chain reaction method in which Borrelia DNA is found in the cerebrospinal fluid, blood and synovial fluid.
2. Serological diagnosis. All includes the reaction of indirect immunofluorescence (abbreviated as RNIF), immunoblotting (detects the presence of antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid, blood serum), enzyme immunoassay (ELISA).

A serological test gives a less reliable result than a search for DNA fragments. In the first case, sometimes a false positive result is obtained in people who have syphilis, mononucleosis or rheumatic pathologies. Negative variants were also noted for tick-borne infection, in 50% of cases in the initial stages this analysis is not able to confirm borreliosis. Such diagnostic methods require analysis in dynamics.

Treatment of borreliosis

The methods of treating the disease depend on the stage of the pathology, so the scheme should be selected exclusively by the doctor based on the diagnosis. It is necessary to treat borreliosis at the first stage, in which case the efficiency will be the highest. At later stages, there is a risk of developing consequences for a person. Patients with borreliosis are treated in two ways:

• pathogenetic, symptomatic treatment is aimed at the therapy of the affected systems and organs;
• etiotropic treatment is aimed at the extermination of the pathogen.

Antibiotic therapy

Depending on the stage, the doctor will prescribe appropriate antibacterial agents with the dosage necessary for these purposes. It is strictly forbidden to take it on your own, without the consent of a specialist. If the prescribed drugs do not provide the expected effect, then they are replaced with another:

1. At the first stage, antibacterial agents are used orally (tablet form). The doctor, at his discretion, prescribes one of the following medications: Doxycycline 2 r / day, 100 mg, Tetracycline 3 r / day, 500 mg, Cefuroxime 2 r / day, 500 mg, Amoxicillin 3 r / day, 500 mg.
2. In the second stage, parenteral administration is recommended to increase the concentration of the drug in the blood, synovial fluid and cerebrospinal fluid. The doctor prescribes the following drugs: Ceftriaxone 1-2 g / day, Penicillin 20-24 million units / day. Apply antibiotic treatment for 2-3 weeks. According to statistics, such treatment of borreliosis is successful in 85090% of cases.
3. In the third stage, antibacterial agents are taken for at least 28 days. As a rule, the penicillin series is used. Due to the peculiarities of the dosage (224 injections are required), a prolonged form is used - Extencillin once a week, 2.4 million units for 3 weeks.

Diet

Nutrition adjustment in the treatment of borreliosis is not associated with the goal of influencing the pathogenic microorganism, but with facilitating treatment. The child is recommended to add diluted freshly squeezed vegetable juice and sauerkraut to the diet. Everyone in the treatment of pathology is recommended to consume only easily digestible protein:

• young veal;
• rabbit;
• turkey.

Effects

If an infection is detected at the initial stage of borreliosis, then with adequate treatment, in most cases, a complete recovery occurs. In subsequent stages, the cure rate is 85% or less. The transition to the chronic form occurs with late diagnosis, defects in immunity, incomplete or inadequate course of treatment. Such a course of tick-borne infection, even with an additional course of antibiotics, full symptomatic, pathogenetic treatment, does not guarantee the patient a complete recovery. This can cause the following conditions:

• violation of sensitivity;
• persistent paresis;
• severity of unsteadiness during walking;
• with damage to the facial nerve, facial deformity occurs;
• epileptic seizures;
• hearing impairment, vision impairment;
• heart failure;
• dysfunction of the joints, their deformation;
• arrhythmia.

Prevention

The main measures for the prevention of pathology is the prevention of tick bites. Other preventive measures, including vaccination, do not exist at this stage. Preventive measures include the following:

1. If you are in a dangerous area where cases of tick bites have been recorded, before going to the forest, groves or places with thick grass, you must dress so that there are no exposed skin. It is recommended to wear high boots on your feet, tuck long trousers into socks, a shirt with long sleeves, tuck into trousers.
2. Before walking, clothes should be treated with insect repellents.
3. Treat exposed areas of skin with repellents.
4. If you walk on the street with a dog, then after returning home, carefully inspect it, they often crawl to a person from animals.

Prevention of borreliosis after a tick bite

If the precautions did not help and the insect managed to stick, it must be removed without delay. For these purposes, always take with you special tweezers for pulling out ticks or a regular one. The algorithm of actions is as follows:

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