Is the tick dangerous? Ixodid ticks: where do they live, how do they reproduce, what do they eat? What is dangerous encephalitis tick

Small bloodsuckers from the world of arthropods are especially active in summer, when they begin to feed heavily. Many people do not know how dangerous a tick bite is for a person, so they go to the forest or to the meadow without protective equipment. You should figure out which ticks carry pathogens, how you can avoid meeting them.

The danger of small bloodsuckers for humans

Taiga and dog ticks - the main carriers of infection - belong to the family of ixodid arachnids. Females and feeding larvae climb grass stalks, hanging branches of shrubs and trees. Ticks wait patiently for hours and days when warm-blooded animals or people pass by.

The size of a hungry tick does not exceed 2–4 mm. The abdomen of a female that has sucked blood increases to 10 mm. The tick has 4 pairs of limbs, piercing-sucking mouthparts. It is easier for a bloodsucker to first cling to people's clothes or hair, then crawl to areas of the body with thin and delicate skin. Usually ticks are found behind the ears, on the crook of the elbow, ankles and knees.

On a note! Infection of a person with dangerous diseases occurs if the tick contains infectious agents: bacteria, viruses, protozoa.

The main danger of ticks is that they are carriers dangerous diseases

Ticks carry diseases:

Tick-borne encephalitis.
Borreliosis (Lyme disease).
Relapsing tick-borne typhus.
Tularemia.
Erlichiosis.
Babesiosis.

The first two infections are relatively common, the others are rare. Pathogens are not necessarily transmitted each time with the saliva of the tick. However, it is impossible to independently determine which bite is dangerous. In all cases, it is necessary to protect yourself from bloodsuckers.

Tick-borne encephalitis

When they say " Tick-borne Encephalitis”, then they mean the same representatives of the ixodid that are usually found in nature. Is not separate view, and individuals different types, which are united by the ability to carry pathogens tick-borne encephalitis. The disease is dangerous because it can cause paralysis and death of a person.

Spreading

ixodid tick

Infected ixodid ticks in regions increased risk make up from 6 to 20% of the total number of this group of arthropods. Encephalitis does not develop in every bitten person, but only in 2-6% of cases. Fatal outcome registered in Europe in 2% of cases, in 20-25% - in the Far East region.

Occasionally, pathogens are transmitted to people by eating the meat and milk of sick domestic animals. Possible infection through donated blood when transfused. The encephalitis virus is transmitted to the unborn child in the womb, the baby with mother's milk.

Symptoms

Incubation period ranges from one to three weeks. From 10 to 30% of people bitten by encephalitis ticks subsequently do not notice signs of the disease.

How does tick-borne encephalitis manifest?

high fever, chills, fever;
headaches of varying intensity;
redness of the face and neck;
insomnia;
nausea, vomiting;
respiratory disorders;
muscle paralysis.

After a tick bite, you need to carefully monitor your health and if you feel worse, you should immediately seek medical help.

Treatment of tick-borne encephalitis

In the first days, anti-tick immunoglobulin is administered. This method helps the infected person to avoid serious complications of the disease. Recombinant interferon preparations are used to increase the body's defense against viral infection. To eliminate headaches, symptoms of intoxication, painkillers and vitamins are used.

Vaccination and prevention

After tick-borne encephalitis and vaccination with the use of drugs EnceVir or FSME-Immun, stable immunity is formed. Protection is developed only from this disease, other infections can be transmitted with the saliva of a bloodsucker when bitten. Vaccination and revaccination are carried out in regions dangerous for tick-borne encephalitis. In the Russian Federation, these include areas east of the Urals.

To avoid infection, you should wear anti-mosquito clothing, use chemicals to protect yourself. Exposed areas of the skin can only be treated with a repellent - a repellent. for personal items and outerwear apply acaricides that kill mites.

To avoid mass diseases throughout the country, vaccination against encephalitis is carried out.

Tick-borne borreliosis

AT digestive tract ticks can inhabit the Borrelia bacteria. Once in the human blood, they cause Lyme disease. This bacterial infection was first discovered in 1975 in the children of the city of Lyme in the United States.

Epidemiology

Lyme borreliosis is carried by canine and taiga ixodid ticks. From 5 to 60% of individuals in populations are reservoirs for pathogenic bacteria. The zones of probable infection with tick-borne borreliosis in Russia are located from the western outskirts to the eastern coast. The peak activity of ticks that carry the infection falls on the months from May to August. During this period, people and animals become “prey” for ticks.

Symptoms and treatment of tick-borne borreliosis

Signs of infection are seen in only 1-6% of people who have been bitten by a carrier tick. pathogenic bacterium. During the incubation period, the pathogen enters the deep layers of the skin, where reproduction occurs. characteristic feature infection with borrelia - a red spot on the skin in the form of a ring (erythema migrans). Infection affects the skin, joints, nervous system, heart. Lyme borreliosis is not transmitted from a sick person to other people.

Signs of Lyme disease

Symptoms of Lyme disease:

headaches and joint pains;
high body temperature;
enlarged lymph nodes;
lethargy, drowsiness;
nausea.

Bacteria enter the blood into other organs of the body, causing the appearance muscle pain and paralysis. A bitten person may remain disabled. Tick-borne borreliosis treated with antibacterial drugs. At the same time, the patient should take anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and antihistamines, vitamin and mineral complexes.

Relapsing fever and other rare infections

The causative agents of the disease are many types of bacteria of the genus Borrelia. They are carried by several types of ticks, in particular, settlement and Persian. A person becomes infected by the bite of an arthropod. In the place where the tick sticks, a nodule (papule) later appears.

Tularemia

The infection is transmitted to humans through contact with sick animals (rodents). Bacteria also enter the human body with infected meat, milk and water. Ticks are less likely to carry tularemia than rodents. The disease is characterized by symptoms of intoxication and inflammation of the lymph nodes.

erlichiosis

Chemical protection against ticks: repellents

Insect protection suits

Chemical preparations for fighting ticks:

acaricides;
repellents;
acaricide repellents.

Most repellents contain diethyltoluamide or DEET. This substance is found in gels, sprays, creams and aerosols used to protect against arthropod bites. The most famous line of DEET repellents is called "Deta". With such means, they treat both open areas of the body, and clothes, curtains. Do not allow funds to enter oral cavity, on the nasal mucosa, in the eyes. Repellents are less dangerous to humans than acaricides, but do not kill already attached ticks.

Acaricidal preparations

As part of this group of drugs, pyrethroids are often used - chemical substances similar in composition and properties to active ingredients plants of the Compositae family (tansy, Dalmatian chamomile). Alpha-cypermethrin in tick preparations is a repellant, insecticide and acaricide, providing protection against ticks in almost 100% of cases. A line of protective equipment popular with consumers is Gardeks.

After contact with acaricide, the bloodsucker weakens and disappears after 3–5 minutes due to the effect of the compound on the nervous system. After a few hours, the tick dies. The protective effect of the acaricide lasts for 2 weeks, but is reduced in rainy weather. Preparations of this group should not be applied to the skin, clothing directly on the body.

In order to avoid a bite, you should know the habitat of the tick. If visiting a dangerous region cannot be avoided, then to protect yourself and your loved ones, you must use chemicals from the groups of repellents and acaricides. If an attached tick is found, it must be removed and taken to the laboratory to determine the infection.

We continue to ask doctors about the most important and topical issues health. Today, in the midst of summer, let's talk about ticks - invisible insects that are waiting for us in parks, forests, just in nature and which can inflict serious harm health and even death.

What diseases are spread by ticks?

Ticks act as carriers of a number of pathogens of viral and bacterial infections, such as Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, tularemia, Crimean hemorrhagic fever, ehrlichiosis, relapsing tick-borne fever and many others. On the territory of our country, in our climate, a tick bite can cause Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.

How does infection occur?

Are all ticks dangerous?

There are about several tens of thousands of tick species, but, fortunately, not all of them are dangerous and are carriers. dangerous infections. The most dangerous ticks that live on our territory and carry diseases are ixodid ticks. But not all ixodid ticks are carriers of viruses and bacteria. On average, the infectivity of ticks in Ukraine in different regions ranges from 5 to 20%. But distinguish visually infected tick from healthy it is impossible. Therefore, the tick that was seized is recommended to be sent to the laboratory for research.

Are there dangerous/safe regions in Ukraine?

Infected ticks are found in all regions of Ukraine, but the most high levels morbidity is noted in Kyiv, Volyn, Zhytomyr, Transcarpathian, Sumy, Lvov and Nikolaev regions. Every year the number of infected ticks increases, which is associated with a change in climatic conditions, as well as the possibility of transmission of pathogens from generation to generation.

What tests should be taken if bitten by a tick, and should they always be taken?

Not all ticks are infected. A tick bite does not mean that a person will get sick, but the infection of a tick, which is laboratory confirmed, does not mean that a person is sick. Immediately after the bite, it makes no sense to contact the laboratory for testing, laboratory research during this period is not informative.

Do I need to be examined after a tick bite? Yes, that's the thing to do without fail. Which is better: to live in ignorance and suspect, or still pass tests and dispel doubts? After 10 days from the moment of the bite, you can take a blood test. PCR method. A blood test to detect antibodies to tick-borne encephalitis - not earlier than after 2 weeks, to borreliosis - after 3 weeks. If the result of the study is false positive or doubtful, the immune western blot method comes to the rescue, which is more sensitive and can be decisive.

How to protect yourself from tick bites?

You should choose the right clothes. You need to dress in nature so that no open areas of the body are visible (pants and a jacket with long sleeves). Moreover, it is desirable to fill the trousers in shoes or socks. It is recommended to wear a hat. Wear light-colored clothing to make it easier to spot ticks. Being in the zone of their habitat, it is necessary to conduct an independent examination (if possible - a mutual examination) of clothing and body every 2 hours. After coming home, also conduct a thorough examination of clothing and body. You should also look pet if he was taken with him, as he can bring a tick into the house on his body. Inspection is preferably carried out on the street. It is recommended to treat clothes with special aerosol chemicals that can protect against ticks. They come in different types: repellents (repel ticks and other blood-sucking insects), acaricidal (kill ticks), acaricidal-repellent (repel and kill insects). They must be used strictly according to the instructions.

How dangerous is a tick for a person? In addition to the fact that the insect sucks blood from a person, it injects its saliva into the body of the victim, which contains an infection. That is why ticks are the source of a number of serious and dangerous diseases. Many of them are difficult to treat and cause great harm to the whole organism. In addition to blood-sucking ticks, there are other species that can cause allergies with their bites, as well as a strong pruritus. Why are ticks dangerous? This is what we will discuss now.

Diseases caused by tick bites

How dangerous is a tick bite for a person? Consider the diseases transmitted by these insects and their symptoms.

Lyme disease, characteristic:

constant state of fatigue;
headache appears;
the bite site turns into a noticeable wound;
a red rash occurs on the body;
at timely handling easily treated with antibiotics.

Spotted fever, characteristic:

body temperature rises significantly;
arises strong pain in the head;
nausea is observed, and vomiting is possible;
there is pain in the muscles;
a rash appears on different parts of the skin, most often on the wrists, arms and legs;
causes serious complications, in the future, a stroke or impaired renal function is possible.

Tularemia, characteristic:

body chills;
a very high temperature rises;
bothered by a headache;
nausea;
lymph nodes are enlarged;
there is swelling in the bite area;
an open wound is formed;
possible severe consequences such as pneumonia, peritonitis, gangrene, etc.

Ehrlichiosis, characteristic:

manifests itself from the first day after the bite;
persistent nausea and vomiting;
feeling weak;
Strong headache;
inflammation occurs in any organ;
there may be a state of chills;
Exodus this disease unpredictable, as the disease can be asymptomatic, and can cause serious damage, even death.

Relapsing fever, characteristic:

heartbeat increases significantly;
unbearable pain in the abdomen and head is felt;
weakness of the whole organism is observed;
feverish state;
usually cured without consequences, death is not observed.

Encephalitis, characteristic:

temperature keeps around 39;
fever is noted;
severe chills;
weakness of the whole body, muscle soreness;
there is a pronounced detachment in consciousness;
severe consequences in the form of meningeal syndrome and paralysis;
manifests itself three days after the bite.

Babesiosis, characteristic:

constant feeling of malaise;
complete aversion to food;
general fatigue is felt;
concerned about fever and chills;
anemia develops;
the disease provokes kidney and liver failure;
profuse sweating.

I would like to note that even if a preliminary vaccination against a tick bite was carried out, it only helps against encephalitis and does not apply to other diseases.

A photo dangerous ticks for the person you have the opportunity to see in the article.

Periods of tick activity

Seasonality is directly related to the activity of ticks and the danger from their bites.

Features of the behavior of ticks in the spring:

the end of April is considered the beginning of the attack of ticks on humans and animals;
in May, the number of individuals increases significantly;
spring is considered dangerous period, because during the winter they become very hungry and accumulate a lot of toxic substances in themselves;
the probability of contracting encephalitis when bitten by an infected tick is about ninety percent.

Features of the behavior of ticks in summer:

in early June, females actively attach themselves to mammals in order to start reproducing their offspring when they are satisfied;
by the end of summer, the harm from tick bites decreases, as they are no longer so hungry and the concentration of poison in saliva decreases.

Features of the behavior of ticks in the fall:

in September, activity drops significantly;
with a warm autumn, a tick bite can be obtained in October.

If the summer is very hot, then the activity of ticks drops noticeably, as they cannot tolerate heat above thirty degrees. These insects hibernate at plus four.

What ticks are considered dangerous to humans

Types of dangerous ticks

Among the ticks that harm human activity, the following types are distinguished.

Barn pliers, characteristic:

settle in flour and cereals;
getting on a person, cause an allergy;
they do not stay on the body for long, as they mostly prefer plants;

Bed mites, characteristic:

meet in bed linen, carpets and mattresses;
eat dead human cells and scales;
can provoke an allergy in the form of a rash and itching, in rare cases cause bronchial asthma.

Dust mites, characteristic:

live in an apartment on furniture among the dust;
a person is allergic to them;

Scabies mites, characteristic:

very small size, almost impossible to detect on the human body;
transmitted through touch or common household items;
conducts its activity directly under the skin, gnawing tunnels in it and thereby causing severe itching.

Which tick is the most dangerous for humans

Ixodid ticks, description:

the shape is oval, the body itself is flat;
colors vary from light shades brown to black;
covered with durable and elastic chitin, which cannot be crushed, but at the same time, as it is filled with blood, it stretches well;
mite eggs are oval, no more than a millimeter;
the stages of development are larva, nymph and imago.

Among all diseases transmitted by ixodid ticks, encephalitis is considered the most dangerous. It can be mild or severe. In the first case, a person has a febrile condition, which completely disappears after a couple of weeks. In the second, the brain is affected, which leads to paralysis, mental disorders, or even death.

Tick habitats

To avoid tick bites, you should know where they live. Ticks prefer to settle and attack their prey in the following places:

in areas with dense and wet vegetation;
in shaded areas full of foliage;
in the undergrowth;
in the meadows;
at the bottom of ravines full of moisture;
in thickets near water bodies;
in the grass on the trodden paths.

That is why you should be wary of tall grass, from which ticks can jump on humans or animals, and not trees, as many believe.

Bite symptoms

The fact is that it is impossible to immediately determine and detect the moment of a tick bite, since it does this absolutely painlessly due to the introduction of natural anesthetics under the skin. However, after a few hours, the following symptoms may appear:

slight pulling pain;
mild subcutaneous itching;
increase in body temperature;
headache;
visible enlargement of the lymph nodes;
rash over the body.

These symptoms indicate the penetration of the infection into the blood and the onset of infection.

How to detect a tick bite

in the armpit;
on the shoulders and forearms;
on the inside hips;
in the inguinal zone;
in the place where the elastic band from the pants is located;
behind the ears;
between the shoulder blades;
under the knee;
in the chest area and under it.

Children should be especially carefully examined, because their skin is thin and delicate, which makes it easy for a tick to cling to any part of the body. Most importantly, when an insect is found, do not panic, do not try to brush it off and tear it out.

What should I do if bitten by a tick

Self-extraction of a tick

a thread is taken, and a loop is tightened as close as possible to the proboscis;
then the insect is carefully pulled out, making sure that the head does not come off and does not get stuck in the skin.

to extract, you will need ordinary tweezers or tweezers;
the tick is clamped and begins to slowly twist in one direction.

take the usual insulin syringe for five cubes;
the beginning of the syringe is cut off with a knife along with the tube;
the desired area is moistened with water and the prepared syringe is tightly applied to it;
slowly pull the piston, thereby sucking out the body and head of the tick.

if the head of the tick remains under the skin, then a sewing needle can help;
it is burned until it darkens, and the bite site is moistened with alcohol;
the needle is carefully inserted under the head of the tick, then lifted, thereby removing the remnants of the insect;

Precautionary measures

Ticks are dangerous, you already know. Are there any precautions? These tips are familiar to many, and it is simply necessary to follow them:

avoid damp places with tall grass;
you need to be especially careful during the period of activity of ticks (May-June);
if a walk in nature is planned, clothing must match; it's best if she white color, tight, covering the body to the maximum;
do not forget about the headdress, because it is very difficult to find a tick in the hair;
you can pre-vaccinate, which can protect against encephalitis;
before the walk, treat open areas of the body by special means from ticks;
upon returning home, you should carefully examine yourself;
since the tick tries to get to soft places before biting, their inspection should be taken more carefully;
if, nevertheless, a bite of an encephalitic tick was committed, then within three days you need to have time to give an injection of immunoglobulin, which will block the virus.

Stick to these rules and be healthy!

The long-awaited spring has come - the time when you can again go for forest walks, and walks along tall grass. But be careful! Not only people like to walk there at this time of year...

Popular singer Avril Lavigne was convinced of this last year on personal experience. On her 30th birthday, instead of a holiday, she was bedridden due to infection with Lyme disease.

"I felt like it was hard for me to breathe, I couldn't speak or move," she told People magazine. "I thought I was dying." What caused such a serious illness? Lavigne said she had been bitten by a tick in the spring the day before.

However, Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is by no means the only disease that ticks carry.

What do mites look like?

Ticks find potential hosts by smell, body heat, moisture, vibrations, and sometimes even shade. Since ticks cannot fly or jump, they wait for their hosts on the tops of grasses and branches of shrubs. When an animal or person passes by, the ticks hold on to the grass with their hind legs, and extend their front pair of legs, trying to cling to clothing, skin or wool.

When feeding, ticks do not penetrate the skin. They only bite through it, remaining on the skin themselves, but the mouth apparatus firmly attaches the tick to the skin, and it can be difficult to remove it. When biting through the skin, the tick releases a special anesthetic, so the person does not feel the moment of the bite, but later the local inflammation of the bite site can become painful and therefore noticeable.

After sucking, the tick begins to feed. The ixodid tick takes one to two weeks to fully saturate. If the tick is not pulled out, after eating, it will fall off on its own after this period, and proceed to the next part of its life cycle.

Although tick bites can cause slight discomfort, the main danger does not come from the tick itself, but from pathogenic microorganisms(bacterial and viral) carried by the tick. During its life, the tick bites many animals, birds and, sometimes, people - and therefore is able to transmit some infections between its hosts.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is bacterial infection manifested by severe weakness, fever, headache and skin rash(these symptoms are common to many other tick-borne diseases). Without treatment, Lyme disease can spread throughout the body, affecting the heart, joints, and nervous system.

The causative agent of Lyme disease is sensitive to antibacterial drugs such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, so these drugs are often prescribed after a tick bite. preventive purposes. If antibiotic prophylaxis was not prescribed, and the bitten person became infected with borreliosis, a few weeks later Lyme borreliosis develops from the bite, and then the same antibiotics are required for treatment, but in much higher and longer doses.

The likelihood of contracting borreliosis from a tick depends on many factors, such as the age of the tick and the duration of sucking. Ticks are infected with borrelia from mice, and only then can they be transmitted to humans, so small (young) ticks are usually not carriers.

The disease was first discovered in residents of the small town of Lyme, Connecticut USA in 1975, hence its name. To date, it is known that this disease is widespread both in the United States and in Europe and Russia.

Other diseases transmitted by ticks

Other diseases transmitted by this type of tick include tick-borne encephalitis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis (piroplasmosis), the latter not dangerous to humans - but deadly to dogs. There is also evidence to support the possibility of transmission of tularemia through tick bites.

The first 2 diseases (tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis) are the most common, the rest are diagnosed much less frequently. Some ticks can be carriers of several infections at once, and, as a result, infect a person with several diseases at once.

How does a tick bite

Female ticks can stay on the skin from several hours to a week, while males are able to stick for a short time, making small bites. Therefore, for example, if a person saw on his skin a tick that was not attached, but simply crawling, it is likely that the tick still inflicted a bite.

Where and when are you most likely to get a tick bite?

The greatest danger of contracting a serious disease from a tick bite is people living in endemic areas for diseases, as well as those who visit these areas during a special period - from May to mid-June and from late August to late September.

But the danger of being attacked by ticks persists throughout the warm season when visiting almost any forest areas, parks and other areas where there is grass and shady shelters. You can even get a tick bite in your country house or in the adjacent territory of your private house, if the grass is not mowed there.

Maximum number of bites from infected ticks
registered annually in Siberia, the Urals and the Volga region. However, a considerable number of those bitten annually apply for medical assistance in almost all regions of Russia, including the Crimea and the Caucasus.

What parts of the body do ticks mostly bite?

Ticks are localized in the grass mainly at a height of 30 cm, and cling to the legs of those who pass by. Most often, they accumulate on the grass along the paths, smelling the people passing here. Sometimes they climb the bushes and lower branches trees.

Once on the human body, the tick begins to look for places with thin skin, which is easier to bite through, so most often it sticks in the area:

groin,
abdomen and lower back,
armpits
chest,
ears and neck,
scalp.

If a tick bite is suspected and for prevention purposes, it is these places that should be most carefully examined after visiting the forest and park.

What does a tick bite look like?

Signs of a tick bite in humans are sometimes limited to only a small reddish spot and swelling in the wound area, and after a few days the skin becomes normal view. Under the influence of saliva and microtrauma, which the tick inflicts with its mouth apparatus, a slight inflammation and a local allergic reaction occur on the skin. There is no pain, but in some cases a slight itching may be present.

Seek medical attention in any case, even if negative reactions from the body are absent. The course of the first stages of dangerous diseases is sometimes hidden, in addition, some diseases have a long incubation period. Only a blood test will confirm the absence of the disease.

Signs of an allergic reaction to a tick bite

An allergy occurs in response to tick saliva getting into the wound. Individual reaction organism depends on the state of health in general. The consequences of tick bites are more severe in allergy sufferers, children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. Remove moderate allergic reaction possible with antihistamines.

Common signs of allergies:

weakness;
drowsiness;
aches in the joints;
headache;
nausea;
dizziness,
temperature rise;
itching and rash in the area of the bite and on other parts of the body.

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

difficulty breathing;
hallucinations;
angioedema (rapid and massive swelling of the face, throat, or extremities);
loss of consciousness.

Anaphylactic shock can be controlled with the administration of prednisolone and adrenaline. If the symptoms after a tick bite indicate a severe allergic reaction, an urgent emergency call is necessary, otherwise a fatal outcome is possible.

Signs of the development of tick-borne encephalitis

The incubation period for tick-borne encephalitis can last from 4 to 14 days. During this period, the infected person does not have any external health problems. Then the temperature rises sharply to 38-39 ° C, the patient has a fever, appetite disappears, muscle and eye pain appears, nausea or vomiting, severe headache.

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

The problem is that the symptoms of the disease in initial stage often confused with the flu and acute respiratory infections, so they do not go to the doctor, but self-medicate. When high temperature after a detected or suspected tick bite, time should not be missed - a blood test and hospital treatment are necessary.

Symptoms of borreliosis

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

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

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

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

Signs of the development of other diseases

An increase in temperature to 38°C and above may indicate the beginning of the development of any of the tick-borne infections. It is important to remember that a symptom such as fever does not occur immediately after a bite. The incubation period of some diseases can last up to 14 days (ehrlichiosis, hemorrhagic fever), or up to 21 days (tularemia).

Against the background of a high temperature, the following symptoms may indicate the onset of the disease:

heart palpitations and pressure surges;
sore throat, tongue lining and runny nose;
anorexia, nausea and vomiting;
swollen lymph nodes and a rash on the face (typhus);
nosebleeds, abdominal pain, diarrhea (tularemia);
chills, sweating, clouding of consciousness, lower back pain (hemorrhagic fever).

After a tick bite, it is necessary to measure the temperature daily for 2 weeks and monitor the state of health: any changes that appear cannot be ignored.

First aid for a tick bite

You should also consult a doctor if a trace of a possible tick bite has been found on the skin or if the signs of infection of any of the tick-borne infections described above appear. If necessary, after examination, the doctor prescribes an appropriate course of treatment with the use of anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs or recommend immunotherapy.

Taking antibiotics after a tick bite is not always justified. If it is not possible to immediately consult a doctor, in order to emergency prevention it is better to take immunomodulators (for example, jodantipyrine). Allergy sufferers can take antihistamines.