Signs of a tick bite in a person, symptoms and possible consequences. If a child is bitten by a tick: what to do and what not to do to avoid serious consequences Bitten by a tick how to treat

A group of small arachnids, close to insects, there are about fifty thousand species in the world.

A tick can be distinguished from an ordinary insect by the following characteristics:

Bite symptoms

A tick bite at the time of its occurrence can be completely painless and unnoticeable for a person. This is due to the fact that at the moment of a bite, an anesthetic substance produced by the tick enters the human skin.

Most often, the victim finds the bite before the tick has time to drink. Due to trauma and a bite, a local reaction develops on the skin - hyperemia in the form of a red spot no larger than one centimeter in size.

Signs of tick exposure appear two to three hours after the suction process:

1. Lethargy, exhaustion.
2. Feeling cold.
3. Pain in the joints.
4. Sensitivity to light.

The severity of symptoms depends on several signs:

1. The number of mites on the surface of the skin.
2. The immunity of the human body affected by a tick.

For example, in older people who suffer from chronic diseases and are prone to frequent allergies, the signs will appear much more pronounced than in a healthy adult man.

First manifestations of a bite:

1. An increase in body temperature by 1–2 degrees, while pressure, on the contrary, decreases;
2. Increased heart rate more than 60 beats per minute;
3. Changes in the size of lymph nodes;
4. Irritation skin.

In addition to the primary symptoms, the human body exhibits additional protective functions in the form of:

1. Sharp pain in the head.
2. Difficulty in breathing.
3. Hallucinations.
4. Feelings of nausea and vomiting.

First actions after a bite

You can use medical tweezers or a loop made with thread. If there is swelling and redness at the site of the bite, or even itching, this indicates the development of an allergic reaction.

In this case, the victim needs to be given an anti-allergy tablet; the following are suitable for this:

1. Suprastin.
2. Diazolin.
3. Tavegil and other drugs.

Proper removal

The head remaining in the thickness of the skin will look like a black dot, and to remove it you need to use a sterile needle, preferably a syringe, as it will immediately be sterile, or ignite a regular needle over a fire.

The bite site should be wiped with an alcohol swab and the head should be removed like a splinter, picking it up with a needle. At the end of all manipulations, the bite site is treated with alcohol or iodine. No bandages are needed.

Something to keep in mind! Despite popular belief, you should not pour water on a tick. vegetable oil, ointments, alcohol, or something else. In order for the tick to suffocate and fall off on its own.

The risk of developing the disease with this technique will increase several times due to the secretion of saliva - the source of infection - by the suffocating tick.

In addition, this method takes much more time, and the tick after oily liquids will be unsuitable for laboratory analysis.

Which doctor should I go to?

There are several options for going to the doctors:

An infectious disease specialist deals with issues of tick bites. If you have difficulty finding such a doctor, you can call an ambulance and ask which specialist can help in such a situation.

Necessary treatment

1. If no infections are found in the person’s body, they treat the wound, prescribe antihistamines if they have allergies, and send them home. But if infections have been identified, treatment is prescribed, depending on the type of infection.:
   • Treatment method for
   • The patient is put on bed rest and admitted to the hospital.
   • Antibiotics are not used in the case of encephalitis, because their action is aimed at fighting microbes; encephalitis is an infection of viral etiology.
   • In the first hours after detection, immunoglobulin against tick-borne encephalitis is prescribed. This drug is quite expensive, but effective. It is prepared using the blood of donors who are immune to this disease. In addition, drugs are prescribed that stimulate the immune system and antiviral medicines
   • , Anaferon is good.
   • Corticosteroids (prednisolone) and blood substitutes (hemodesis) are prescribed.
2. If no infections are found in the person’s body, they treat the wound, prescribe antihistamines if they have allergies, and send them home. But if infections have been identified, treatment is prescribed, depending on the type of infection.:
   • Vitamins and a nutritious diet are prescribed.
   • If there are nervous phenomena, the victim is admitted to the hospital. At the stage of hyperemia, antibiotics of the tetracycline group and bacteriostatics (chloramphenicol) are prescribed, which will not allow further development
   • diseases.
   • Neurological syndrome is relieved by drip infusions through a vein of stronger cephalosporin antibiotics.
   • Restore the balance of water in the body with the help of blood substitutes and saline.
   • Corticosteroids (prednisolone) are prescribed.
   • Drugs that restore blood circulation in the brain.

Vitamins.

Preventive measures When going for a walk in the forest, you need to give preference clothes and follow a few rules:

1. The head must be covered with a headscarf.
2. For footwear, choose rubber boots and tuck your trousers into them.
3. The sleeves of clothing should be long and tight, as well as the collar.
4. After a walk, you need to inspect each other for the presence of attached ticks.

Use for prevention protective equipment, which according to their actions are divided into three types:

The most reliable prevention is considered to be vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis. Vaccinations protect a person almost 100% due to the production of protective antibodies in the body. Vaccination is carried out in advance, in the fall or winter, so that antibodies have time to develop in time for the tick activity season.

Compliance with all preventive measures will help avoid tick bites and the development of terrible infections.

What ticks are dangerous to people? The majority of them do not pose any danger to people, only the ixodid is capable of transmitting infections, but in appearance it is difficult to distinguish it from other individuals of these arachnids.

But in our country there are areas in which ticks carry several very dangerous diseases, such as:

1. Tick-borne encephalitis is the most dangerous tick-borne infection.
2. Borreliosis.
3. Typhus and relapsing fever.
4. Anaplasmosis.
5. Tularemia.
6. Ehrlichiosis.

The most common diseases in our country are tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis.

FAQ

How to distinguish ticks that carry infection?

Externally, ticks - carriers of infection are no different from ordinary ones. To determine the presence of infection, send the individual to the laboratory for appropriate research.

They removed the tick, and redness appeared almost immediately in the place where it was. What does this mean?

In this example, there is a high probability of an allergy to the bite. Look at the affected skin every day; if the spot grows or pain appears, go to the doctor.

Our area is unsafe for tick-borne infections. Yesterday he was bitten, I removed him and sent him for examination. Today they reported that they found the causative agent of encephalitis, and I need medicine - iodantipyrine. What else should I take? I'm worried about my health.

No need to worry too much. In this case, the disease does not always develop. Yodantipyrine, like globulin, is suitable for urgent prevention of infection. Don't be nervous, don't let it happen sharp changes temperatures for the body and complex loads.

I was bitten, but I didn’t take the tick to the laboratory, and now I’m nervous in case it was contagious. When can you test your blood for infection?

The blood is examined only ten days after the bite.

A tick bit into me, but I'm pregnant. What should I do?

Pregnancy is a contraindication for globulin. The doctor can prescribe it under special supervision of the expectant mother when it is absolutely necessary. But many specialists limit themselves to monitoring their health status, because the risk of developing encephalitis is low.

A tick bit my one-year-old son. What should I do?

Immunoglobulin or children's anaferon are indicated for the child.

I found a tick embedded in me, but I was vaccinated. Do I need treatment?

No, it is not necessary. Your body has already developed immunity.

Each of you has heard or even encountered such a dangerous arachnid as a tick. It sticks to human skin and can infect the body with serious infections. What medications should be taken after a tick bite to prevent or treat diseases?

Drug Use Basics

It is impossible to say exactly what tablets to take after a tick bite, since doctors prescribe them to patients individually, depending on the detected infection and general health. And before prescribing anything, it is mandatory to check for the presence of antibodies, but not earlier than ten days after the bite.

When a person is bitten by a non-contagious tick, it is not dangerous. In this case, taking any medications after an insect bite is not required, but when the tick turns out to be a carrier of infections, individual therapy using effective medical supplies. , you need to rush to the doctor without delay. Delay can be very costly.

In most cases, doctors prescribe specific immunotherapy. Immunoglobulin is introduced into the body, which stops the spread of infection. As for antibiotic drugs, they are not prescribed very often after a tick bite when infectious diseases are detected

Diseases caused by simple microorganisms are treated with tablets that suppress their subsequent reproduction. Borreliosis and encephalitis are the most common diseases that require long-term treatment. The therapy restores the functions of the brain, nervous and circulatory systems. These serious diseases require hospitalization and inpatient treatment with effective medications.

What medications should be taken after a tick bite for preventive purposes? This requires immunostimulants and antiviral agents that activate immune defense. Preparations based on ribonuclease and interferon are well suited. Additionally, it is recommended to take a complex of vitamins from the pharmacy.

Medicines for tick-borne encephalitis

Let's start with what pills to take after a tick bite with encephalitis? In this case, treatment is carried out in a hospital setting, especially during fever. In the first three days of therapy, the patient is prescribed immunoglobulin and blood substitutes, Ribonuclease and Prednisol.

If meningitis begins to develop, doctors prescribe vitamin C in large dosages. During the regeneration period, tranquilizers, steroid drugs and nootropic drugs are needed. Antibiotic tablets after a tick bite are prescribed if the disease causes complications in the kidneys or other internal organs.

Treatment of borreliosis

What tablets after a tick bite are needed for children and adults in case of borreliosis? First of all, the victim is hospitalized and complex therapy is started, which is aimed at regenerating the affected systems and organs. Adults and children over 8 years of age are prescribed prophylaxis with Doxycycline according to an individual dosage determined by a doctor.

It is better to start treatment at the first stage of the disease. Antibiotic tablets may be prescribed, and in moderate and severe forms the heart and nervous system are affected, so doctors prescribe cephalosporin drugs:

• Cefoperazone;
• Ceftriaxone;
• Cephobid.

Benzylpenicillin administered intramuscularly or intravenously also gives good results. When medications after a tick bite are not suitable, an allergy may develop. In this case, doctors additionally prescribe Clarithromycin or Levomycetin to the patient, and sometimes also prescribe Sumamed or Erythromycin.

The head of the tick is covered with a black chitinous shell, and the body is brown and round in shape.

What should I do if bitten by a tick

If you do tear the body off the tick’s head, don’t panic, you can pull it out with a regular needle, just as you do when a splinter gets into your finger.

• Tick-borne borreliosis or Lyme disease;
• Tick-borne encephalitis;
• Tick-borne typhus;
• Hemorrhagic fever;
• Ehrlichiosis.

How to protect yourself from ticks

These drugs are sold in many large supermarkets and specialty stores.

Popular tick repellents:

• Biban;
• Off! Extreme;
• Dafi-Taiga;
• Raftamide maximum;
• Data-WOKKO;
• Medilis against mosquitoes.

For children:

• Biban-gel;
• Camarant;
• Evital;
• Off-child.

Popular drugs with acaricidal action:

• Reftamide taiga;
• Gardex anti-mite;
• Tornado anti-mite;
• Pretix;

Popular products in this group:

• Kaput mite;
• Moskitol Spray;
• Gardex-extreme.

People who, due to their profession or other reasons, long time carried out in tick habitats, and vaccinated against common diseases. Such professions include foresters, surveyors, geologists and others. Even children over one year of age can be vaccinated, but many vaccines are designed for older ages.

Tick-borne diseases

Ticks can cause various diseases By transferring infected blood from one animal to another, some diseases can be transmitted to humans, so let's look at the most common diseases when a tick becomes their cause.

Tick-borne borreliosis or Lyme disease

An infectious disease transmitted by ticks can become chronic, and relapses are often observed. Lyme disease affects the nervous system, heart and musculoskeletal system.

The causative agents of the disease are spirochetes of the genus Borrelia. This disease occurs throughout the world except in very cold regions where ticks do not live.

When a tick bites its victim, it injects saliva into the skin, through which the infection enters the victim’s body, after which it multiplies for several days and begins to infect internal organs (joints, heart, nervous system, etc.). The infection can persist in the human body for years and cause a chronic disease with relapses. Incubation period The virus lasts up to a month, during which time symptoms may not be observed.

Signs of the disease are redness on the skin at the site of the tick bite; it turns red and increases in diameter, after which cyanosis appears in the middle, and its rim becomes prominent. After 2-3 weeks, the spot goes away even without treatment, and 1.5 months after the disease, symptoms of damage appear nervous system, heart and joints.

Treatment takes place in a hospital under the supervision of doctors; various immunostimulating and anti-infective drugs are used for treatment.

Tick-borne encephalitis

The cause of this disease is often ixodid ticks living in forests and steppes. You can also get tick-borne encephalitis from goat and cow milk.

2-3 weeks after infection, the virus affects the gray matter in the brain and neurons in the spinal cord. The patient may experience convulsions, decreased skin sensitivity, and paralysis of individual muscles. When the virus enters the brain, the following symptoms appear: headache, vomiting, loss of consciousness. If the disease continues to progress, disturbances in the cardiovascular system appear.

In the early stages of the disease, immunoglobulin is used, which contains cells that destroy the infection; in advanced stages, anti-infective drugs are used.

Tick-borne typhus (typhus)

An infectious disease caused by tick bites is a relatively mild disease that affects the lymph nodes and causes a skin rash. The first symptoms of the disease may appear only after 3-7 days after the bite.

Symptoms of the disease are fever of 39 degrees or more, headaches and muscle pain, skin rashes, small papules, swollen lymph nodes, sleep disturbances and other symptoms associated with damage to the nervous system.

Tetracycline antibiotics are used to treat the disease.

Such differences in actions are due to the fact that in different situations The danger of a tick bite varies. For example, in regions endemic for tick-borne encephalitis or Lyme disease, people should do everything they can to minimize the risk of severe consequences from contracting the infection. Sometimes this can be quite troublesome, but any time spent in this case is justified.

Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is considered the most dangerous disease, since it leads to disability (usually associated with mental disorders) and death much more often than all others. In addition, the causative agent of TBE is viral infection, for which there are currently no specific drugs and which, because of this, is more difficult to treat.

Lyme borreliosis is known due to its high prevalence throughout the world. If the rules of diagnosis and treatment are violated, it can also lead to disability and death, but with the right approach to combating it, it can be treated quite quickly and successfully.

On a note

Other tick-borne infections (at least in Eurasia) are much rarer, and cases deaths during their development are single. On the one hand, due to this they are considered less significant, on the other hand, it is precisely in the fact that they are given less importance that their insidiousness lies. They rarely see doctors on time; more often they happen medical errors, resulting in a severe course of these diseases and, as a consequence, complications.

It is important to understand that in some cases a person can die from the consequences of a tick bite or become permanently disabled, and in almost any region, even one in which tick-borne encephalitis is not observed - from the same borreliosis, for example. The chances of not getting infected at all or easily transferring the disease are high, but even a small probability of a threat to life justifies the rather troublesome measures that need to be taken after a tick bite.

The first step is to remove the tick immediately

It is necessary to understand that if the tick has not yet burrowed into itself, but is only found crawling along the body in search of a place of attachment, then you can simply brush it off. This is not dangerous and does not pose a risk of infection. It is the tick bite that poses the danger, that is, when the integrity of a person’s skin is violated, followed by blood sucking.

However, in practice, it is impossible to understand whether the tick has already released infected saliva into the wound, and it is pointless to make any guesses in such a situation. Therefore, it is recommended to assume that if the tick has already pierced the skin, then it could easily transmit the infection.

On a note

The photographs below show the tick's proboscis, studded with barbs:

Actually, this is exactly what experienced tourists, fishermen and hunters do. Seeing an attached tick, an experienced person immediately grabs it with his nails under the body, right next to the skin, and pulls it out. If at the same time the head remains in the skin, then it is immediately removed with a needle, like a splinter.

On a note

The tick removal itself goes like this:

On a note

If there are no devices at hand at all, then you can grab the bloodsucker under the body with your nails, try to squeeze the head (without squeezing the body itself), make rotational movements in one direction and the other to loosen the grip of the proboscis, and then smoothly pull it out of the skin.

What not to do when removing a tick:

If, however, during extraction, the bloodsucker’s oral organs remain in the skin (they look like a small black dot in the center of the wound), it can be quite easy to remove them with a simple needle or nail scissors - in the same way as removing a splinter.

After removing the tick from the skin further actions are built taking into account the risk of developing tick-borne infection:

First of all, the risk of infection with tick-borne encephalitis is taken into account. Testing a tick for infection with Borrelia is not always carried out (although it is useful to do this) - emergency prevention of borreliosis is not carried out, and the disease itself, if it develops, is relatively easy to treat (it is only important to monitor your well-being in order to recognize alarming symptoms in time, which will be discussed in a moment below).

On a note

You can submit a tick for analysis of whether it is infected with borreliosis pathogens to reassure yourself - if the pathogen is not detected, then there will be no reason for concern.

The next step is proper disinfection of the wound.

Immediately after removing the tick, the bite site should be treated with an antiseptic solution - for example, an alcohol solution of iodine, brilliant green, hydrogen peroxide, miramistin or chlorhesidine (in extreme cases, just alcohol or vodka). This will not prevent tick-borne infection, but will protect against secondary infection by bacteria that may be on the skin and enter the wound.

There is no need to apply bandages or cover the bite site with a plaster. The wound almost never bleeds, but it can be very itchy and itchy. If the tick has managed to get enough, detach itself and crawl away, the wound in the form of a point at the site of the skin puncture will have a characteristic appearance, which will make it easy to distinguish a tick bite, for example, from a mosquito bite.

You should not try to squeeze ichor or blood out of the wound - this will not help remove the infection if it has gotten there, but will only contribute to the accelerated spread of pathogens into nearby tissues. Also, you should not burn the bite site or pick at it to pour antiseptic inside.

If a red spot appears at the site of the bite, which is very painful or itchy, pain-relieving ointments (Menovazan, Lidocaine, Fenistil-gel) are usually used. If a rash and signs of allergy appear, the skin is treated with Advantan and the victim is given Suprastin (in rare cases, hospitalization may be required, especially if the child shows signs of urticaria).

Thus, first aid for a tick bite does not involve taking any powerful antiviral agents or antibiotics. After performing PMP, no special care for the wound is required: you can wash, you can wet the bite site with water and keep it in the sun - this will not have any effect on the condition of the victim.

Tick ​​analysis for infection

It may be advisable to check a tick for infection, if only in case of a negative result, to completely remove concerns regarding the risk of infection. However, even if the tick was infected, this does not mean that the bitten person will certainly get sick - that is, a positive test result is not a basis for starting treatment.

Tick ​​analysis for infection with the tick-borne encephalitis virus is carried out in microbiological laboratories at various hospitals and clinics, as well as in commercial laboratories. In each city, you can find out the address of such a laboratory at the information desk or by calling the ambulance number.

A tick study usually lasts 2-3 days and costs about 500-700 rubles. The analysis is carried out if the tick was delivered for testing no later than the third day after the bite.

Before analysis, the tick does not need to be frozen, preserved in alcohol, or tried to be fed with anything. It is enough to place it in a hermetically sealed container with a piece of damp cotton wool.

Moreover, if the bite occurred in an endemic region, and the medical institution has drugs for emergency prevention of tick-borne encephalitis, then the victim will most likely be given it immediately - in case the tick turns out to be encephalitic.

On a note

By administering immunoglobulin it is effective only in the first 4 days after the bite. After this time, the procedure no longer makes sense.

If, according to the results of the study, a tick turns out to be a carrier of the tick-borne encephalitis virus, then it is necessary to closely monitor the condition of the victim for at least a month. In addition, 2 weeks after the bite you should donate blood to determine antibodies to the tick-borne encephalitis virus.

There is no point in taking tests before 10 days, since the result will certainly be negative (antibodies have not yet had time to form in sufficient concentration).

Emergency prevention of tick-borne encephalitis

On a note

However, it is worth noting that the effectiveness of such preventive measures has not been proven by modern evidence-based medicine in the West. Accordingly, such prevention of TBE is not carried out either in Europe or in the USA. In Russia, immunoglobulin preparations against tick-borne encephalitis are considered effective, and the emergency prevention method is used in all regions where this disease is endemic.

The main requirement for such prevention is to carry it out in the first 4 days after the bite. It is believed that in the first 2 days its effectiveness is maximum, on days 3-4 it is already significantly lower, and starting from the 5th day there is no point in doing it.

All immunoglobulin preparations for emergency prevention of TBE are produced in Russia; the most common serum is produced by Microgen. Its packaging costs approximately 6500-7000 rubles for 10 ampoules of 1 ml. The amount of the drug is calculated based on a person’s body weight: for every 10 kg of body weight, 1 ml of the product. Accordingly, you can calculate the approximate cost of the injection (the procedures themselves, excluding the cost of immunoglobulin, in clinics are either free or cost symbolic money).

Immunoglobulin injections against TBE are not performed during pregnancy and lactation.

A few words about means for self-prevention of tick-borne encephalitis

Contrary to popular belief, self-prevention of tick-borne encephalitis using tablets or traditional medicine after a bite is impossible. This is due to the fact that effective means for such protection do not exist today, and those that are commercially available are either dummies or drugs with unproven effectiveness.

An example of a useless drug is Anaferon, a widely known homeopathic remedy that does not contain components that could in any way affect the development of infection.

Drugs with unproven effectiveness are Yodantipyrine and Remantadine. Their ability to suppress the development of tick-borne encephalitis has not been confirmed by evidence-based medicine (which, however, does not prevent a large number doctors prescribe these drugs as preventatives).

Other drugs marketed as antiviral or immunomodulatory (for example, Reaferon-Lipint, Cycloferon) also do not have any effect on the development of the disease.

On a note

Similarly, independent prevention of borreliosis is not carried out. Borreliosis itself is successfully treated with relatively inexpensive, accessible and safe antibiotics (the first-line drug of choice is doxycycline). Theoretically, antibiotics could also be used as prophylaxis, but in practice, their use would be required for almost all those bitten due to the wide range of Borrelia themselves, despite the fact that the actual frequency of infections is low and approximately comparable to the frequency side effects from the antibiotic itself. In other words, it is easier and safer not to carry out drug prophylaxis, but to treat borreliosis itself as it develops (as determined by the results of a blood test for borreliosis).

Monitoring the victim’s condition after a bite: what to pay attention to

Regardless of the fact that emergency prevention of tick-borne encephalitis was carried out, as well as in what region the person was bitten and whether he had an anti-encephalitis vaccination, after a tick bite you need to carefully monitor the victim’s condition for at least a month, and if symptoms of the disease appear, immediately contact doctor.

On a note

A tick can infect a person with various infections, so being vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis is not complete protection.

On average, Lyme borreliosis lasts 1-2 weeks, but sometimes it can last up to several months. If at this time the victim’s health worsens or the following symptoms appear, then this is a reason to quickly consult a doctor for a speedy diagnosis. Alarming symptoms after a tick bite include:

If any of these symptoms appear, you should consult an infectious disease doctor as soon as possible. It is timely treatment for all tick-borne infections that allows you to avoid the threat of severe consequences.

Even if an analysis of a tick reveals that it is infected with an infection, the likelihood of a person developing the disease is low. According to statistics, even when bitten by infected ticks, on average 2-6% of those bitten get sick.

However, the onset of the disease can be diagnosed during the incubation period. To do this, you need to take a blood test for tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. Immunoassay detects antibodies to pathogens in the blood.

As noted above, such an analysis will be indicative no earlier than 10 days after the bite. On the 14th day after the incident, it makes sense to donate blood for antibodies to the tick-borne encephalitis virus, and after 20 days - for antibodies to Borrelia. If a particular disease is confirmed, the doctor will prescribe treatment even before severe symptoms appear.

Preventing Tick Bites

It can be easier to prevent a tick bite than to then run to hospitals and worry about possible infection. Moreover, all the difficulties of such protection from attacks by bloodsuckers are mainly organizational, and do not require any special knowledge and skills.

Repellents containing pyrethroids and DEET are also helpful. Many of these products are also suitable for children.

On a note

If the tick has just begun to dig into itself, or is still crawling on the skin in search of a place to suction, it is hardly noticeable, since it has small sizes. An attached small larva is also not always easy to detect - it may look like a papilloma, and even with a close examination it can be “skimmed” by the eye. Likewise, it can be difficult to find a tick in the hair if it has climbed onto the head.

When traveling outdoors in a region where tick-borne encephalitis is endemic, you must first be vaccinated against TBE. Then even a tick bite that occurs will be much less dangerous: a person will not get sick with encephalitis, and even if he does get sick (which happens extremely rarely if there is a vaccination), the disease will proceed easily and without complications.

However, vaccination cannot protect against Lyme borreliosis; a specific anti-borreliosis vaccine has not been developed.

Finally, some insurance companies now offer tick bite insurance. An insurance package for one person costs about 500-800 rubles, and the insurance amount covers tick analysis for encephalitis and borreliosis, blood tests of the bitten person and full treatment of the disease.

Useful video about first aid for a tick bite

What to do if a child is bitten by a tick