What does an encephalitic tick look like: a photo of a parasite carrier of a pathology of viral origin
Compared to other blood-sucking insects, mites pose the greatest danger to humans. These pests are carriers of a dangerous disease - tick-borne encephalitis. The consequences after the bite of an encephalitic tick are very serious: damage to the nervous system, including paralysis, and even death.
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How to recognize an encephalitis tick
What does an encephalitis tick bite look like?
Also, the bite of the parasite is not visually different. There are only external differences between a well-fed and a hungry parasite: after drinking blood, it significantly increases in size. Regardless of whether the bloodsucker is infected or not, he drinks blood in the same way, and the usual torso of a tick sticks out of the wound.
What threatens the bite of an encephalitis tick
The virus is contained in the saliva of the parasite, which, when bitten, enters the bloodstream of the victim. If the insect is removed immediately after sucking, then the likelihood of infection is reduced, but not completely eliminated. In addition, you can also become infected with encephalitis by accidentally crushing a tick, in which case the infection penetrates through wounds and microcracks in the skin.
What to do after a forest tick bite
Once a bite is detected, the pest should be removed as soon as possible. To do this, it is better to contact a medical institution, but if this is not possible, you must act on your own, but in this case the main thing is not to break and crush the pest.
How to treat a bitten place
The set of actions depends on how events developed after the tick bite. 3 options are possible:
The wound is there, but the bloodsucker is missing. If you have soap and water nearby, it's best to just wash the wound first. Next, you should treat it with any antiseptic: iodine, alcohol solution, brilliant green, and so on.
The pest's head remained in the body. You can try to pull it out with a needle, like a splinter. If it failed, it is recommended to fill it with iodine and wait until the body itself rejects the foreign body. In no case should you use folk methods, such as pouring a tick with sunflower oil or gasoline.
The tick has stuck and holds on tight. If it is not possible to immediately consult a doctor, the parasite is removed independently. To do this, grab it as close to the skin as possible and remove it with twisting movements. After that, treat the wound with an antiseptic, as in the first option.
How to know if you have contracted encephalitis
The disease has a long incubation period, so it is not advisable to take tests immediately after a bite.
This should be done if alarming symptoms of the initial stage of encephalitis appear.
The bitten pest must be taken to the laboratory in order to detect the virus in its body. But even if the tick is infected, the symptoms of encephalitis in humans may not appear.
Types of encephalitis
There are 5 forms of tick-borne encephalitis. The following describes in detail the symptoms and features of each of them.
How do you get tick-borne encephalitis?
The course and prognosis of treatment of the disease depends on its type and stage of development.
Symptoms of tick-borne encephalitis
The incubation period of the disease lasts up to 21 days. Sometimes the first symptoms appear only towards the end of this period.
The first stage of the disease
At the first stage of encephalitis, the following clinical manifestations are noted:
- an increase in body temperature, both insignificant (up to 37-37,5 degrees), and up to critical indicators of 39-39,5 degrees;
- pain in the muscles and joints, reminiscent of pain after exercise;
- headache;
- general weakness, accompanied by nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, poor health;
- lowering blood pressure, dizziness, tachycardia;
- swollen lymph nodes.
This phase of the disease can last for 2-10 days. Sometimes the disease can occur in only one phase, and sometimes its course is characterized by the simultaneous manifestation of symptoms of the first and second phases.
Symptoms of the onset of the second phase of the disease
In the second stage of encephalitis, the central nervous system is affected. Symptoms of its onset:
- deterioration in motor activity, stiff neck: a person cannot tilt his head forward, connect his chin and chest;
- photophobia, sensitivity to loud sounds;
- confusion, incoherent speech, hallucinations.
In some cases, encephalitis becomes chronic, characterized by periods of exacerbation. When the disease is cured, a strong immunity is formed and re-infection becomes impossible.
How is tick-borne encephalitis diagnosed?
For the diagnosis of encephalitis, the following laboratory tests are carried out:
- a clinical blood test, the greatest diagnostic value is the indicator of the content of leukocytes in the blood;
- enzyme immunoassay of blood and cerebrospinal fluid - the presence of specific antibodies in the body is determined;
- polymerase chain reaction of blood and cerebrospinal fluid (PCR) - detection of nucleic acids of tick-borne encephalitis;
- spinal puncture;
- MRI of the brain - detection of foci of gliosis and neurodegeneration;
- electroencephalogram - a study of the electrical activity of the brain.
Treatment
Currently, there are no specific treatments for tick-borne encephalitis. In the acute period, the patient is shown bed rest, the use of drugs to improve cerebral circulation, detoxification therapy, and taking vitamins.
If necessary, prescribe relaxing and antispasmodic drugs.
Symptomatic therapy is also used, which includes:
- non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for febrile conditions and for the prevention of convulsive syndrome;
- intravenous infusion of isotonic solutions to eliminate intoxication of the body;
- antiallergic agents.
Immunotherapy agents are also sometimes prescribed, but they cannot drastically affect the outcome of the disease, although to some extent they can affect the severity of its course and reduce the risk of long-term complications.
In the subacute period, vitamin therapy is used to accelerate recovery and restore the body's defenses, antioxidant drugs and neuroprotective agents.
How to protect yourself from the encephalitis tick
When walking through the forest, you must take precautions: protect the body with clothes and hats, use special means to repel ticks. After the walk, it is necessary to conduct a thorough inspection for the presence of pests on the body.
Where to vaccinate against tick-borne encephalitis
Encephalitis vaccination is currently available free of charge. To do this, you must contact the clinic at the place of residence. In addition, the introduction of the vaccine on a paid basis is offered by almost all medical centers.
Acaricidal anti-mite treatment of the site
In recent years, more and more ticks attack people not only in the forest, but also in urban landscaped parks, courtyards, and household plots. To reduce the risk of meeting with bloodsuckers, it is recommended to carry out acaricidal anti-mite treatment of the site.
This can be done both independently and with the help of special services.
When choosing the first option, it must be borne in mind that commercially available preparations for treating areas are less effective than professional products, and their use most often requires special equipment.
Debunking myths about tick-borne encephalitis
Tick-borne encephalitis has generated a lot of speculation around itself. Erroneous ideas about the disease can play a cruel joke on those who have been bitten by a tick.
Encephalitic tick can be identified by appearance
Ticks are not born "encephalitis", in order to become a carrier, he must drink the blood of an infected victim. At the same time, the outwardly insect does not change in any way; it is possible to determine whether the parasite is infected only with the help of special laboratory tests.
The tick can only infect with encephalitis and lime borreliosis
Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis are the most dangerous tick-borne infections. But besides them, bloodsuckers can infect other diseases:
- hemorrhagic fever;
- relapsing tick-borne typhus;
- typhus;
- babesiosis;
- tularemia.
The tick-borne encephalitis vaccine can only be delivered at certain times of the year.
In reality, you can be vaccinated all year round, but you need to plan vaccination so that at least 2 weeks pass from the moment of the second vaccination before a possible encounter with a tick.
There are no encephalitis ticks in the city
As mentioned above, parasites become infected with encephalitis from their victims. Regardless of where the tick lives - in a forest or a city park, it can be a carrier of a dangerous virus.
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