Symptoms of encephalitis and borreliosis after tick bite

In the warm season almost throughout the whole territory of our country there is activity of small, but quite dangerous insects - forest mites. By itself, the bite is not dangerous and is practically invisible to humans. The danger is that the mite can be a carrier of very serious infectious diseases, such as encephalitis and borreliosis. Symptoms after a tick bite are quite specific, but it will be better if everyone knows about them in order to recognize the development of the infection in time.

To protect yourself and your loved ones from the bites of a dangerous insect, you must first know its external differences, as well as the nature of its life.

Biologically mites are classified as arachnids. This is a fairly small insect, about 3 mm long. Has a body of a blackish-brownish hue. The head is small, much smaller than the trunk, with a proboscis with which the mite sucks blood from the victim's tissues.

For a long time it was considered that ticks live on tree branches, and when attacking a victim they simply jumped from top to bottom. This was explained by the fact that in the vast majority of cases, insects are found in the upper half of the human body: on the head, neck and back. In reality, small creatures hide in the thick of grass and bushes. They perfectly feel the approach of an animal or person, cling to their hair or clothes and move in search of an open patch of skin.

Even reaching the open cutaneous area, the mite bites not immediately - for some time he spends on choosing the most soft, tender and more bloody skin. The favorite places of the insect include the groin zone, axillary cavities, interscapular region, neck. It is estimated that from the moment the parasite hits the clothes and up to the moment of the bite, no less than 15 minutes pass.

Insects are more active after rain, when the ambient temperature fluctuates around + 20-24 ° C. In the hotter or cooler weather, the risk of settling on a tick decreases at times.

Unfortunately, in order to detect a tick, it is necessary to conduct a self-examination carefully and periodically. The bite itself is impossible to feel, since along with saliva, the insect secretes into the human skin a specific liquid that performs the function of an anesthetic substance. Therefore, it is possible to see the sucking mite only when examined, and the insect filled with blood can already reach quite large sizes, up to 1 cm. Some parasites keep in the human skin, not falling off, until 10 days.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

Symptoms of encephalitis after tick bite

Tick-borne encephalitis (also called taiga) is a viral infectious disease that affects all parts of the central and peripheral nervous system. A severe course of encephalitis can be complicated by paralysis and a fatal ending.

A person becomes infected with a harmful virus when bitten by a virus-bearing insect. Female tick can be in the thickness of the skin and drink blood for about 10 days continuously, while increasing by about 100 times. Male less hardy, he is in the stage of bloodsucking only a few hours, then disappears.

Infection of a person occurs already in the first minutes after a bite. However, the first symptoms are not immediately apparent. The latent period of the disease can be one to two weeks, and even up to a month, after which there is a periodic sensation of weakness in the legs, muscles of the body. Often the skin becomes numb.

The acute period of the disease begins suddenly, with a fever. The temperature can reach 39-40 ° C. This condition can last from 2 to 10 days. At the same time, the patient complains of general discomfort, severe headache, dyspeptic disorders, fatigue, insomnia or drowsiness.

During fever, redness of the upper part of the trunk and face is observed, the appearance of a capillary mesh in the eye area. There is a sharp muscle soreness, paresis or paralysis of the extremities can develop. There may be a clouding of consciousness, noise in the head, up to a coma.

The disease is not always acute, sometimes it is a latent flow with a short period of exacerbation.

Symptoms of the disease are divided into 5 clinical variants, which reflect the degree and stability of neurological manifestations.

• The febrile course of encephalitis is the most favorable option, since after several days of fever comes a speedy recovery. The rise in temperature is usually accompanied by weakness, pain in the head, nausea. There are no other violations.
• Meningeal flow is most often observed: there is a pain in the head (especially when moving), dizziness, an attack of nausea and severe vomiting, a feeling of pressure in the eye area, intolerance to bright light. Patients have lethargy, inhibition. The heat can last up to 2 weeks.
• Meningoencephalitic course is characterized by more severe symptoms. There are phenomena of delusions, hallucinations, the patient loses orientation, often excited. Epileptic seizures are possible, which are often accompanied by loss of consciousness up to epileptic status.
• A poliomyelitis course is observed in about one in three patients. The feeling of weakness and fatigue passes into convulsive muscle contractions. There is numbness and paresis of limbs, fever, pain in the muscles. Symptomatic increases for 15-20 days, after which the affected muscles atrophy.
• Poliradiculoneuritis is accompanied by damage to the peripheral nervous system. There is a feeling of numbness, a paralysis of an ascending nature.

If any suspicious symptoms appear, the victim should be immediately sent to the infectious disease department of the hospital.

Symptoms of borreliosis after tick bite

Tick borreliosis is caused by bacteria-spirochetes, which are transmitted by ticks. When the disease affects the skin, nervous system, musculoskeletal system and heart.

A person can get borreliosis after being bitten by an insect carrier. Spirochetes penetrate into the wound and begin to multiply, gradually spreading to other tissues and organs with blood flow. It is characteristic that the causative agent can live in the human body for several years, developing as a chronic and recurrent pathology.

However, most often borreliosis develops sharply. The latent period lasts usually about 14 days, less often - from 2 days to 1 month.

In the vast majority of cases, the onset of the disease is characterized by the appearance of a spot on the skin in the bite zone. A spot of red or pink color gradually increases in diameter, which can range from 10 to 100 mm and even more. The spot may be round or oblong, sometimes irregularly shaped. External borders have a bright red color, with a small outlined swelling. With the progression of the disease, the center (the bite site) becomes pale and even slightly bluish. Thus, the stain becomes annular. The wound is covered with a crust, after which a small scar is formed in its place. If you do not treat the pathology, then after 15-20 days the spot disappears, and other, more serious symptoms appear.

The next stage in the development of the disease is the appearance of signs of involvement of the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and the musculo-articular apparatus. However, the reddened stain is considered a specific sign of infection. This is a direct signal for urgent medical attention.

Symptoms after a tick bite in a child

After a tick bite, the child may have both general inflammatory and neurological signs. For this reason, the disease can often be confused with another infectious pathology, or severe poisoning.

If the following symptoms appear during the month after the tick-borne attack, you should immediately show the child to a specialist:

• sharp and strong fever, chills, not passing fever for a week;
• pronounced weakness, exhaustion;
• frequent attacks of nausea and vomiting;
• severe pain in the head, muscles, knees, elbows, neck;
• redness of the face, mucous surface of the mouth;
• disruptions in the work of cardiac activity, jumps in blood pressure indicators;
• upset urination;
• excessive excitement, or vice versa, stupor, inhibition;
• increased sensitivity of the skin, or vice versa, numbness;
• increased muscular tone, increased reflexes, deterioration of hearing and vision;
• development of paresis and paralysis.

Also it is necessary to pay attention to the place of bite - often the signs of the disease differ little from those found in adult patients. Redness and swelling of the wound directly indicates infection.

As can be seen from the above information, the symptoms after tick bite are quite bright, and the consequences that the virus can provoke are very dangerous. Therefore, observe all safety and preventive measures. And if there are any suspicious signs, immediately consult an infectious disease doctor.