What will happen after a bite of an encephalitis tick: first aid, diagnosis of the disease

Welcome to my blog! Returning home from a walk in nature is always nice. You know, this slight tiredness, the feeling of a good day behind ...

But after a walk, you must always carefully examine yourself for bites of different insects. And if you find a tick, then this is not the time to panic: warned means armed.

If you know what will happen after a bite of an encephalitis tick and what precautions should be taken, negative consequences can always be avoided. All details are in my article!

Encephalitis tick bite: human effects, treatment

Ticks are small insects that suck blood. They belong to the order of arachnids. Forest ticks are the most dangerous. Watch out for their bites due to the transmission of the infection they carry.

A person may not feel the introduction of a tick into his skin due to the anesthetic substance that he secretes.

What are the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite in humans? How to recognize an encephalitis tick

The appearance of the tick can not determine whether it is contagious or not. You can find out if he is a carrier of encephalitis if you conduct an examination of an insect in a laboratory.

The virus can be detected in the tick itself, its larvae and nymphs. After all, the infection of an insect occurs in the process of its life on a sick animal.

Can a tick bite? What are the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite?

An insect can bite a person, because it is introduced into the skin by screwing the proboscis. On it are the teeth with which the insect can stay on the body for a long time. This method of getting a tick is called its bite.

Adult insects wait a long time for their prey in the grass or shrub, and then attach to clothing or a part of the body.Ticks do not jump and do not fall from trees, so they have to travel a long way to reach the site of introduction. They are soft or warm areas of the human body.

The tick bite itself is not felt by a person. When it enters the skin, the insect secretes an anesthetic substance, which helps it to gain a foothold on the body.

A person has places in which a tick has traditionally been introduced:

• zone of ears and head;
• neck area;
• elbow and knee bends;
• groin area; axillary hollows.

Many are interested in the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite in humans (a photo of the insect itself will help distinguish it from other arachnids).

It is impossible to notice the bite initially, because the insect continues to remain on the body. The detected tick must be immediately removed from the body. Doing this should be done by doctors in a medical institution.

The likelihood of a person becoming infected with encephalitis depends on the time the tick spends in the human body and the amount of virus that has entered the bloodstream. However, not all people approach tick bites responsibly, many go to the doctor when the disease begins to show unpleasant symptoms.

Why is an encephalitis tick dangerous? What are the consequences after being bitten by an encephalitis tick?

The main danger posed by ticks is the bites through which they transmit serious diseases. It is these insects that pose a threat to people living in the territory of the former Soviet Union.

Encephalitis or borreliosis can infect humans only with a tick. These diseases are dangerous because they lead to serious consequences, and sometimes death. Most often, people have neurological or mental disorders.

Infection occurs in 2 ways:

1. The first is that the virus appears in the body due to an insect bite.
2. The second - poison enters the bloodstream of a person along with milk or other products that are obtained from infected: cows, goats or sheep. It is better to buy such products from sellers who monitor the safety of their goods. In the case of transmission of the virus through the blood, infection cannot be avoided. After all, with a bite, the causative agent of the disease enters the bloodstream of a person, and it is impossible to remove it.

What to do with a bite of an encephalitis tick

The main task when a tick enters is to remove it. To do this, seek the help of a doctor. If this is not possible, then you must do this procedure yourself. You can remove the insect painlessly.

Some experts recommend lubricating the site of introduction of the insect with alcohol.

What to do with the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite

It is worth noting that a large dose of the virus in the blood of a person can be obtained if the tick is unscrewed incorrectly. This is especially true for removing the insect with oil or vinegar.

In this case, the tick suffocates and injects a lot of saliva into the blood. After removal, grease the wounds with iodine and observe the bite site. A safe reaction of the body is the appearance of a pink spot, which should disappear from the skin after a while.

The recovered insect must be returned to the laboratory to determine if it has an infection. The reason for contacting a specialist may be a pink spot that does not disappear after removal of the insect, but increases in diameter.

In humans, infection occurs in the same way as in animals. For ticks there is no difference which victim to choose.Ixodic insects act as a reservoir for storing the virus and transmit it through the bite.

Encephalitis virus is present in more than 130 species of warm-blooded birds and animals that transmit the disease through ticks.

Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis in humans

Encephalitis has a seasonal character and is tied to a period of tick activity. Infection of insects largely depends on the season, in some areas up to 70% of individuals are infected.

What are the consequences after a bite of an encephalitis tick in humans

When a bite occurs, the virus multiplies at the place where the insect enters the human skin. Initially, no signs of infection occur. Later, lymph nodes are affected and the virus enters the bloodstream. Propagating in blood cells, it spreads with blood flow throughout the body.

If the body's defenses are weakened, then the first symptoms of the disease may appear 2 days after the bite. On average, deterioration is observed on the 10th day from infection. Symptoms that occur after infection:

• The first signs of the disease appear within 1-2 weeks after the bite. After 2-4 days, a high fever occurs, muscle pain, nausea, and sometimes vomiting appear. Within a week, the patient feels the onset of relief. 10-12 days after a tick bite, a person has disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system, severe migraines, convulsions and confused consciousness occur.
• The consequences of an encephalitis tick bite are different. With any form of the disease, a high temperature occurs, which sometimes reaches 40 degrees. General weakness and vomiting join.
• This condition continues for 10 days, because during this period the virus spreads throughout the body. If after a febrile condition all the signs of the disease go away, then the patient is affected by a febrile form of encephalitis. If new symptoms, including disorders of the nervous system, are added to the existing symptoms, then the disease has grown into a more complex form. Sometimes with encephalitis after a temperature that lasted seven days, relief may come. However, this may not always mean recovery, because with a fever a meningeal form of the disease may appear. It is manifested by fever, fear of light and muscle soreness.

The poliomyelitis form of the disease can cause paralysis of the limbs, which rivets a person to a wheelchair.

What are the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite

They can be different: from minor ailment to serious (disability, death) if timely medical care is not available.

Treatment after a tick bite

We can proceed to the next question, when it became clear to us what are the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite in humans. In this case, how are patients treated, what methods are used? If a person has certain symptoms after an insect bite, then he needs to seek help in a hospital.

Monitoring of the patient's health continues for a month. Treatment includes the following steps: The most effective agent is a tick-borne immunoglobulin. The drug has a high cost, because it includes the blood of donors who are immune to this disease.

If an epileptic seizure appears, the doctor prescribes drugs that block their occurrence. Treatment for adults and children should be done only in the infectious diseases department of the hospital. In this case, each symptom of the disease is monitored by a specialist who will take measures when new complications occur.

The patient will not be able to permanently get rid of the effects of a tick bite, and he will need to be regularly observed by a doctor.

What are the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite in a child

After a walk, parents should examine the child's body for the presence of a tick on it. Most often, the insect can be located in the scalp. The tick bite is insidious in that it cannot be detected immediately.

The salivary glands of the insect have anesthetic properties, and it does not bite right away, but is looking for a place to penetrate where the skin is thinner and you can easily get to the vessels.

After tick removal, events can develop as follows:

1. If the insect was not infected, then in this case the child does not need to do anything.
2. A baby who is prone to allergies may experience slight redness, swelling, and itching at the site of the bite. Mild ailment in the child will disappear after some time without harm.
3. If the tick turned out to be infected, then various symptoms can occur: high fever, headache, loss of appetite, lethargy, and more.

What are the consequences of an encephalitis tick bite in a child

The consequences of an insect bite in children are unpredictable: in each case, the severity of the condition of the child will depend on the amount of virus that has entered the bloodstream, as well as the individual characteristics of the body and the timeliness of treatment.

Among the serious consequences that arise, we can distinguish:

• flaccid paralysis, usually of the hands;
• muscle twitching; in 9%, a fatal outcome occurs that occurs within a week after infection;
• chronic carriage of the virus.

Parents should protect their children from tick-borne encephalitis, because insects can overtake a child in parks and malls.

Tick ​​Bite Prevention

So, in order to avoid the consequences after a bite of an encephalitis tick, it is necessary to carry out preventive measures against infection with the virus, which are limited contact with this insect.

To protect yourself from a tick bite:

1. During hiking in the forest, minimize the number of open areas on the human body. Clothing should be worn with long sleeves and trousers tucked into boots.
2. A headdress must be present on the head. Heading into the forest, it is necessary to apply special anti-mite preparations to the skin.
3. When moving through the forest, it is better to choose the middle of the path and avoid tall plants and shrubs. After returning from a walk, check all clothing for ticks. After all, the insect does not immediately penetrate the skin, but searches for the best place for several hours.

In this way, a tick bite can be prevented. All clothes in which a person was on a walk must be cleaned. As a preventive measure, you can be vaccinated, especially before visiting hazardous areas.

Before going to the forest, take with you everything you need that you may need when a tick bites. In pharmacies, kits are sold, which include: tweezers, means for disinfecting the bite, and more.

Performing preventive measures in a complex, a person can protect themselves and their loved ones from the onset of a disease that can cause an encephalitis tick.

Tips and Tips

The consequences of a bite of an encephalitis tick can be avoided if the following tips are followed: Before a picnic, you can treat your clothes with a special tool with acaricides that can destroy a tick.

You can even be bitten by a tick in your own garden, so you need to mow tall grass and get rid of unnecessary shrubs. For a picnic in the forest, you need to choose a sandy place or a dry forest.

It is completely impossible to prevent a tick bite, but if an insect is found on the skin, it is urgent to seek medical help to avoid serious consequences.

The consequences of a bite of an encephalitis tick in humans

Ticks begin their activity from the beginning of April. Almost a month later, their number increases several million times. The end of May is considered a mating season in flares, at which time they are most active and dangerous.

Ticks usually live for about 3-4 months, so already in late July their activity begins to decline sharply. Mites themselves are carriers of various infections, they number more than 30 thousand species. Of these, 5 thousand are encephalitis.

Why are encephalitis ticks dangerous and how to recognize them

Encephalitis ticks are a particular threat to human life, because they are carriers of a dangerous and serious infection. The bite of this insect can lead to damage to the central nervous system, cause paralysis, damage to the brain and lead to death.

So a little bug can ruin a person’s life. It is impossible to determine visually whether a tick is infected. In order to find out the degree of danger, the insect itself must be taken to a special laboratory where they will do the appropriate analysis.

The carriers of this infection can be both the individuals themselves and the tick larvae. They acquire it in the process of their life from infected animals.

Signs and symptoms of an encephalitis tick bite

At that moment, when a tick digs into the skin of a person, it actually sprays a dangerous infection under the skin. At the initial stage, it affects only the bite site. After some time, harmful substances begin to enter the bloodstream.

After the whole body is affected, certain symptoms begin to appear. Initial symptoms of infection are similar to flu.

Symptoms are very similar:

• The body temperature rises to 38 degrees.
• Muscle pains are observed.
• Chills.
• Headache and nausea.

It is much worse if the infection immediately enters the human brain. Symptoms in this case are much more serious and deplorable. Symptoms can be paralysis of the muscles of the neck. Such symptoms may appear a week or two after a bite.

At first, the patient may feel unpleasant sensations in the neck, an unusual weight of the head. After that, the head simply falls onto the chest as a result of complete muscle atrophy. Symptoms of infection include frequent loss of consciousness, even hallucinations.

The course of the disease can be both mild and acute. Moreover, after the body copes with this disease, immunity is developed, which can withstand repeated attacks of this infection.

The incubation period after a bite

Infection in the human body occurs directly through an insect bite. The incubation period can last up to 1-2 months, depending on the form and degree of danger.

It so happened that the first symptoms began to appear in a person only after 2 months. Therefore, you should listen to your body very thoroughly.

It is worth paying attention to various changes in the body, even the occurrence of a simple headache. Forms of encephalitis after a tick bite An encephalitis infection from a tick is classified into several types, or forms:

1. Fever is a milder form in which the central nervous system is not affected. With this form, the following symptoms are outlined: Temperature rises. Headache. Nausea.decreased appetite.
2. Meningeal - with this form of infection, the central nervous system is partially affected. This form is manifested in the following signs: The muscles of the occipital part harden. Photophobia appears. The temperature rises. Strong headache. Vomiting
3. Polio is the most dangerous form that can lead to complete paralysis of the neck and arms. The result of this form is deplorable - or disability, or death.

The consequences of a bite - disease after a bite

As already mentioned, ticks are carriers of dangerous infections, and it's not just about encephalitis. In any case, after a tick bite, even if the laboratory did not find any cause for concern, the necessary disinfection measures should be taken.

The following types of dangerous consequences after a bite of a parasite:

• Tick-borne encephalitis is the most dangerous disease that can lead to complete disability of a person and even death.
• Lyme disease, which affects the central nervous system. The symptom of this disease is manifested in the appearance of a red spot on the body. It appears at the site of the bite. Over time, it can reach large sizes and gradually darken;
• Tick-borne spotted fevers.
• Hemorrhagic fevers - there are Crimean and Omsk types of fevers. It is characterized by kidney damage, while the temperature rises, internal hemorrhage is often possible;
• Ehrlichiosis monocytic.
• Ehrlichiosis granulocytic.
• Babesiosis
• Tick-borne fever
• Kemerovo and others.

First aid

The very difficulty in the situation with a tick bite lies in the fact that its bite cannot be felt. It is almost painless.

Therefore, you can find it either after a thorough examination of your body, or if the tick has already reached impressive size, which is almost impossible to miss:

1. First of all, if you happen to find a tick on the body, you should immediately get rid of it.
2. If a person is far from civilization, where there is no way to get medical help, you will have to act on your own, using improvised means.
3. To remove the tick, you will need a tool like curved tweezers, if it is difficult, then you can take ordinary tweezers or ordinary thread.
4. Before the tick extraction procedure itself begins, it is worth disinfecting the bite site.
5. Then, prying the tick at the base, you should pull it out with slightly swinging movements. Many believe that in order to make the tick weak and easier to remove, the bite should be anointed with sunflower oil. This is not worth doing. Yes, the tick will begin to choke and loosen its grip.
6. But! At this moment, he will begin to choke and inject all the muck that he has accumulated. After the parasite has left the human flesh, the site of the bite should be treated. To do this, take the greenback, and the skin around the bite needs to be treated with an antiseptic or hydrogen peroxide.

Where to go with a bite of an encephalitis tick

In any case, even if the tick was removed at home, you need to see a doctor. He will prescribe the necessary medications and advise on further actions. It is also worth passing the tick to the laboratory for analysis, and a few weeks after the bite, the patient needs to donate blood.

Treatment after an encephalitis tick bite

When these or those symptoms begin to appear after a tick bite, then a course of treatment is necessary. In general, monitoring the patient's condition should continue for a month. Many believe that antibiotics are the most effective means after a tick bite.

This drug is very expensive, this is due to the fact that its components include the blood of donors who have developed immunity to this disease. Also, various stimulants are prescribed to the patient, which help the body strengthen the immune system.

As an example, you can take Anaferon. As more preventive measures, a kind of diet can be envisaged. If we are talking about more serious consequences, such as inflammation of the brain or polemelitis, then steroid hormones are often taken as therapeutic measures, among which prednisolone can be distinguished.

If there are seizures of an epileptic nature, then take antiepileptic drugs, for example, diphenin or phenobarbital. In any case, the victim of a dangerous tick will not be able to permanently get rid of the consequences of this ailment. Now the patient will need to be regularly observed by a doctor.

Prevention

The best way to prevent a tick bite is to protect yourself from this parasite as much as possible. To protect yourself from a tick bite, the following precautions should be observed:

• During a trip to the forest or forest zone, the presence of open areas on the human body should be minimized. Clothing must be long-sleeved, trousers or pants must be tucked into shoes, which are also chosen as high as possible. The head should be hidden under any headdress such as a scarf.
• When going to the forest, it is worthwhile to apply the appropriate anti-mite drugs to the skin. While in the forest strip, you should choose the middle of the path for movement, avoid tall bushes or plants.
• After a person leaves a potentially dangerous area, he must immediately check his clothes and the clothes of his loved ones for the presence of this parasite. After all, the tick does not immediately dig into the skin, it can crawl and choose its best place for several hours, that is, a bite can still be avoided. The main thing is to be vigilant.
• You should not be allowed to bring grass or flowers torn in the forest to the house. The clothes in which they were in the forest zone should also be checked for dangerous parasites. As preventive measures, you can turn to vaccination, which consists of three stages.
• Vaccinations are done after 4, 6 and 12 months. Immunoglobulin can be administered before visiting a potentially hazardous area. During a walk in the forest zone, you should drink 1 tablet of iodantipirin. Before going to the forest, you can fully arm yourself. This means that it is worth taking all the necessary drugs with which to disinfect the bite.
• You need to make sure that you have tweezers with you, which, in which case, can remove the parasite. Taking care of the future, it is also necessary to have a container in which the tick will be delivered to the laboratory. Currently, pharmacies sell whole sets that include all of these components.

Tips & Tricks

So to summarize:

As recommendations, precautionary measures when in the forest zone or city park can be advised. You need to be in the forest only in the right clothes, which will leave as few places as possible vulnerable to a tick bite.

Even if the company that goes to the forest, leaving the house, has not taken care of acquiring the necessary sprays and ointments from insect bites, this is not a problem.

Currently, such drugs are sold at any gas station, which is likely to meet along the way. You can also process the clothes themselves, in which you plan to stay in the forest, with special preparations with acaricides, because these substances can kill the tick.

Therefore, summer residents, or residents of private homes with their garden are in a special risk zone. To exclude risks, it is worth mowing the grass, rid the garden area of ​​unnecessary high shrubs.

If you plan to have a picnic in the forest, and in summer such cases are especially popular, you should choose a safe place for a halt. It is best to sit on a sandy surface, or choose a dry forest.

If you adhere to all of the above measures and follow the recommendations, you can protect yourself from the sad consequences. It is sometimes impossible to foresee everything.

If it so happens that the tick nevertheless dug into the skin of a person, you do not need to be lazy, you need to consult a doctor and get the necessary advice and an algorithm for further actions. You can escape from the grave consequences, the main thing is to be vigilant in time.

Tick-borne Encephalitis

This parasite causes a very serious infectious disease that can affect a person. Encephalitis ticks can bite both a child and an adult, as a result of the development of signs and symptoms that need to be stopped as quickly as possible.

Strong intoxication of the central nervous system begins, the virus makes its way into the brain, spinal cord, causing intoxication. If treatment is not started on time, then pathology can lead to complete paralysis or death.

What is tick-borne encephalitis

This disease is a natural focal disease, occurs only in certain areas. Mite carriers are wild animals, the most dangerous foci of pathology are in the following territories:

1. Far East;
2. China;
3. Kaliningrad region;
4. Ural;
5. Mongolia;
6. Some parts of Eastern Europe and the Scandinavian Peninsula.

Encephalitis pathology is a viral disease that is transmitted when a person is bitten by a tick. Outbreaks of disease are associated with visits to people of natural foci of infection, season and activity of parasites.

Pathology has other names:

• Russian Far Eastern;
• spring-summer;
• taiga.

The causative agent of tick-borne encephalitis

The cause of the development of the pathology is arbovirus from the genus of flaviviruses. Tick-borne encephalitis virus is very small, 2 times smaller than the flu virus, so it is very easy to overcome human immune defenses.

The causative agent of encephalitis is unstable to UV radiation, heat or disinfection (dies in 3 minutes when boiled). Able to maintain its viability for a long time at low temperatures.

The virus lives, as a rule, in the body of encephalitis ixodid ticks, the parasite affects not only humans, it can bite any livestock. This indicates 2 possible variants of infection with pathology: through a tick bite or alimentary (fecal-oral route).

There are 4 main causes of tick infection:

1. After a bite through insect saliva.
2. In the presence of wounds or scratches, the pathogen penetrates the skin by contact with the feces of the tick.
3. When trying to extract the parasite, it can burst, then the virus also enters the victim's body.
4. The causative agent is found in unpasteurized milk of an animal affected by a tick.

How to distinguish an encephalitis tick from a normal one

Two types of ixodid ticks can transmit encephalitis - canine and taiga. These are the main carriers of infection, but in rare cases, infection can occur from other representatives of this group of insects that live in potentially dangerous geographical areas.

The abdomen is not covered by a shield, the cuticle has good elastic properties, which helps the tick to drink more blood (sometimes it exceeds its own weight by tens of times).

The color of the taiga tick is brighter, the abdomen is bright orange, sometimes dark red, the limbs are apart and wide. The color of the dog tick is less bright, the abdomen is light gray or dark gray in color, has short limbs and is close to the body.

Incubation period

This is the time during which the virus after reaching the body reaches the required mass in order for the first symptoms to appear. Pathogenic microflora begins to actively manifest itself in 1-2 weeks, if through milk - 3-7 days.

For a sick person, it is very important to undergo a diagnosis during this period and begin the optimal course of treatment. The most effective way to prevent the disease is vaccination.

Encephalitis develops in several stages, which differ in their symptoms. Symptoms after a tick bite in a person In rare cases, a person begins with fulminant tick-borne encephalitis, which in a day causes pathological manifestations.

Signs of a tick bite usually appear after 7-20 days, sometimes after 30. During the latent period, the virus continues to multiply directly at the site of the tick bite, then, penetrating the blood, spreads throughout the body.

With any form of encephalitis in adults, the symptoms appear the same:

• muscle aches;
• rapid increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees, chills;
• lumbar, headaches;
• photophobia and pain in the eyes;
• lethargy amid lethargy;
• cramps, vomiting, and nausea;
• tongue coating;
• rapid breathing, rare pulse;
• redness of the skin on the face and to the clavicles.

If the infection has managed to penetrate the meninges, obvious signs of damage to the nervous system may appear: muscles weaken, cramps, skin goes numb, “goose bumps” often run through the body.

In children, the symptoms after a tick attack are exactly the same, but there is one difference - in children, the disease develops faster and is more complicated. In children, convulsive seizures occur much more often against the background of high temperature.

Forms of Tick-borne Encephalitis

In people, the symptoms that begin after a tick bite may differ, some are more pronounced. Based on this, 5 main forms of tick-borne encephalitis are distinguished:

1. Feverish, it is also worn out. It has the most favorable prognosis for treatment.
2. Miningeal. It is diagnosed more often than other forms of encephalitis.
3. Meningoencephalitic. Across the country, this form is found in 15% of cases, 2 times more often in the Far East.
4. Polio. It occurs in a third of people who have been bitten by an encephalitis tick.
5. Polyradiculoneuritis.
6. Additionally, a separate type of tick-borne infection is distinguished - encephalitis with a two-wave course.

At the first stage, the disease manifests itself in the form of febrile symptoms, lasts a period of 3-7 days. After that, the virus enters the meninges and causes neurological signs. The second wave lasts about 2 weeks, is much heavier than the first wave.

The effects of an encephalitis tick bite in humans

Complications after being bitten by an adult insect can be very different, some experience temporary symptoms, while others suffer from paralysis or even die. Focal forms are considered polio or meningoencephalitis.

Focal forms cause neurological disorders:

• persistent headaches;
• paralysis of the respiratory muscles, upper limbs;
• memory impairment.

Diagnostics

When making a diagnosis, specialists must take into account several important factors: symptoms (clinical manifestations), epidemiological data (whether there was a vaccination, time of year, the fact of a tick bite), laboratory tests (insect examination, blood test, cerebrospinal fluid examination).

When going to the hospital, the doctor must carefully examine the sore spot (bite). Many ticks are visually similar to encephalitis, so it is imperative to carry out prophylaxis, to do an analysis.

After a bite, the following main types of diagnosis are used:

1. interrogation of the patient, analysis of complaints, medical history;
2. general examination, the doctor should determine the presence of symptoms typical of encephalitis infection;
3. virological analysis of blood, cerebrospinal fluid;
4. studies of arbovirus, the search for its particles in physiological fluids;
5. checking the level of antibodies in the blood (enzyme immunoassay);
6. biochemical, general blood test to determine the severity, characteristics of the central nervous system damage.

Tick-borne encephalitis treatment

Therapy of the disease is carried out only in stationary conditions, the main medicine against pathology is immunoglobulin. This is a special solution from plasma or serum of donated blood with antibodies against encephalitis virus.

Specific immunoglobulin must be administered to the victim of an insect bite for 3 days (even if it was not encephalitis ixodes persulcatus). The medication is administered only intramuscularly, the duration of the course depends on the type of infection.

In severe illness, the dosage increases. Next, the doctor prescribes additional treatment for tick-borne encephalitis in people, depending on the symptoms.

The main methods include:

• restorative, detoxification therapy;
• symptomatic treatment;
• resuscitation if an oxygen mask or mechanical ventilation is required;
• drugs to reduce brain edema;
• after recovery, the person remains under the supervision of a neurologist for another three years.

How to remove a tick

To extract an insect from the body is a must. It is very important not to throw out the tick after this, in the laboratory it should be examined for infection. Put the insect in a jar, to check the tick must be alive.

Sometimes intensive treatment is not required because there was no virus in the parasite. The process of extracting the tick can be carried out in the following way: Lubricate the site of the bite with petroleum jelly or sunflower oil. This will block the flow of oxygen, and the tick can crawl out by itself.

Instead of thread, you can pull out the parasite with tweezers. Make sure that the proboscis of the tick does not remain in the wound, wash it, you need to treat the place of the bite with iodine, alcohol or zelenka and the nearest skin area. Be sure to wash your hands with soap.

Prevention

Two types of preventive measures can be performed: specific prophylaxis (vaccination) and non-specific (preventive measures). Emergency measures - the introduction of an immunoglobulin in the first 3 days after a bite.

The same events are carried out to persons who were not vaccinated before visiting dangerous regions (endemic). The duration of the protective effect is 4 weeks, while the risk of infection remains, the immunoglobulin is prescribed again.

Routine vaccination - the introduction of a killed strain of the virus. Under the standard scheme, the first vaccination is carried out in November, the second - after 1-3 months, lose - after 9-12 months. In emergency situations, the second vaccine is given after 2 weeks, and the third after 9-12 months.

A non-specific option for prevention is the following rules:

1. when visiting plantings, forests and groves, it is necessary to wear tight clothes, use repellents;
2. avoid tall grass;
3. after returning to do a thorough examination of the body;
4. raw milk must be boiled;
5. if a tick is found on the body, you need to immediately remove it, contact a hospital immediately.

Symptoms of a tick bite encephalitis, first aid and treatment of encephalitis

Rest in the lap of nature is not only a pleasant pastime in the fresh air, but also the opportunity to meet with some insects dangerous to health. For example, with an encephalitis tick, the bite of which can cause paralysis and even lead to death.

Tick-borne Encephalitis

It is not possible to distinguish a virus carrier from an uninfected tick by external signs. Distributors of a formidable disease can be females, and males, and larvae, and nymphs. The most common method of infecting an insect itself is to feed the blood of an infected animal.

The degree of probability of encountering an encephalitis tick in a forest varies by region. For example, in the European part of Russia, as well as in Central and Northern Europe, only a few percent of insects are infected with the virus. The situation is more complicated in the Far East, as well as in Siberia, where every fifth parasite can encephalitis.

Usually, two types of ticks become carriers of the disease - canine (Ixodes ricinus) or taiga (Ixodes persulcatus). In addition to encephalitis, insects can infect other dangerous diseases, such as Lyme disease and borreliosis.

Once on the clothes, a small insect begins a long way to any warm and soft part of the body. Ticks usually choose the armpits, inguinal region, abdomen, neck. Often the location of the insect is the scalp. In search of the most “appetizing” zone, the tick can spend several hours.

The parasite is introduced into the body by twisting the proboscis with serrations. At the same time, a person does not feel pain and other uncomfortable sensations. The tick prudently treats the bite site with an anesthetic.

Even an infected tick does not always infect its victim with encephalitis. The degree of probability of getting sick is determined by the length of time the insect is on the body and the amount of virus that enters the bloodstream.

Forms and main symptoms of encephalitis

Once in the blood, the virus begins to proliferate, without causing visible disturbances in the body. The first symptoms can appear both on the 2nd day and 30 days after direct contact with the parasite. But on average, the incubation period is from 7 to 14 days. The initial symptoms are easily confused with conventional flu. It:

• high temperature (39-40 degrees);
• weakness and aches throughout the body;
• headache;
• nausea and vomiting.

These symptoms indicate the activity of the virus and last from 5 to 10 days. If the problems with well-being stop on this, then the person suffered a disease in a febrile form and received a stable immunity to encephalitis. From a febrile to a chronic form, the disease passes quite rarely.

With the meningeal form, the main signs of encephalitis are as follows:

1. fever;
2. severe and painful headaches;
3. photophobia;
4. muscle stiffness, not giving the patient the opportunity to press his head to his chest.

If, after a fever, a break follows (7-10 days) and your health worsens again, then the virus has already penetrated the blood-brain barrier, began to affect the nervous system and multiply in the internal organs.

Symptoms and consequences of encephalitis infection for the body differ depending on the location of the lesion. So with the polio form, paralysis of the neck and arms begin, in the case of untimely medical assistance, leading to disability.

Meningoencephalitic form is characterized by mental disorders, serious impaired consciousness, hallucinations, epilepsy attacks.The polyradiculoneurotic form of the disease is indicated by severe pain in the groin area, lethargy or paralysis of the extremities, loss of sensitivity associated with damage to the peripheral nerve virus.

If with a febrile and meningeal form of encephalitis, the medical prognosis is usually favorable, then the meningoencephalitic, poliomyelitic and polyradiculoneuric form in 25-30% of cases is fatal. Changes in the central nervous system in people who have been treated for encephalitis can persist for 1-2 years.

First aid to the injured

When a tick bites, it is necessary to immediately contact a seroprophylaxis center. This is worth doing even if a person is vaccinated. This is due to the fact that the tick, in addition to encephalitis, can carry other dangerous viruses. Specialists will help to safely remove the parasite and do all the necessary research.

Is there a seroprophylaxis point within walking distance? Then you need to extract the parasite yourself, without losing precious time. There are several methods by which a tick can be extracted.

In the first embodiment, you need tweezers, which capture the tick directly near the skin. Hold the tool strictly perpendicular to the bite. The body of the tick is rotated around its axis and carefully removed from the body.

The second option for extracting the parasite involves the use of a strong thread. It is tied into a knot as close to the proboscis as possible, the ends of the thread are pulled apart and gently rotated counterclockwise. The insect is twisted out of the body intact, unharmed and ready for further research.

Is there no tweezers or thread at hand? You can use the method described in the video "The easiest and most effective way to remove the tick." The tick is easily removed by rotational movements, always counterclockwise.

IMPORTANT! It is necessary to maintain the integrity of the insect during its removal. If the smallest part of the tick remains in the body, it will cause suppuration and inflammation. The severed head continues to infect tissues, since the virus is in significant concentration in the salivary glands.

After removing the insect, the wound should be disinfected with any alcohol-containing agent or iodine. The parasite must be planted in a glass container and a wet cotton wool should be placed there. The tick should be examined for viruses, including encephalitis.

Encephalitis Diagnosis

The diagnosis of tick-borne encephalitis is made exclusively after a comprehensive examination of the patient. It is necessary to differentiate the disease with disorders with similar symptoms - CNS tumors, Lyme disease, typhus, typhus, encephalitis of a different origin, and even flu.

At the first stage, the doctor collects the necessary endemic data and compiles the clinical picture. For this, the specialist interviews the patient about visiting places of possible infection, receives information about the patient’s health status and the presence of certain symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis.

Further diagnostics include:

• spinal puncture followed by analysis of cerebrospinal fluid for examination for the presence of central nervous system disorders, purulent inflammation and bleeding;
• serological examination;
• virological method.

The decisive factor in making the correct and timely diagnosis is the molecular biological study of the insect. Therefore, if the parasite was removed from the body on its own, it is necessary to immediately place it in a glass container with holes for ventilation and transfer it to specialists for encephalitis analysis.

Prevention

Residents of areas belonging to areas of increased spread of encephalitis ticks, as well as people whose activities are related to being in the forest or in the field, should take preventive measures that minimize the effects of insect bites to a minimum.

As a prophylaxis, vaccination is used, which significantly reduces the risk of encephalitis infection.Vaccination is safe.

An encephalitis tick bite can be an unpleasant consequence of a family picnic or a mushroom trip. You can protect yourself from an insect bite using ultrasonic repellers, special sprays and ointments. Going to nature, you should close the body with clothing as much as possible so as not to give the tick a chance to get on the skin.

Conclusion

Encephalitis is one of the most dangerous diseases that ticks carry. Knowing how to properly remove the tick, what the symptoms may be after an insect bite and what preventive measures exist, you can protect yourself and your loved ones.