Tick-borne diseases: symptoms. What diseases does the tick carry?

In the spring-summer period, the issue of ticks is especially relevant. What kind of creatures are these, what diseases does a tick carry to people, dogs and cats, how to remove a pest? We will consider these questions below.

Characteristics of ticks: who are they and where do they live?

Ticks are small arachnids that dig into the skin to feed on blood. In total there are about thirty thousand species.

In nature, ticks live in humid places: deciduous forests, lawns with tall grass, marshland. These parasites are most active throughout the summer.

Getting on exposed skin, they begin to feed on the blood of a living creature. But, unlike a mosquito, which can be driven away or slammed, it is not so easy to get rid of a tick. It sticks to the skin, and if removed incorrectly and left its head in the body, then after the death the bloodsucker will secrete toxic substances and infect the body.

What diseases does the tick carry to people?

If you notice a tick in time and remove it from the body, then there will be no consequences for the body. But if you do not detect a parasite, then a person will begin to weaken and may get one of the serious diseases.

Tick-borne diseases in humans manifest themselves in different ways:

• Tick-borne encephalitis. There are two forms: mild or first, which is characterized by non-specific fevers with headache, muscle pain and fatigue, and severe, or the second, which is accompanied by the involvement of the central nervous system as a result of aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis. Complications are possible only if untreated.
• Lyme disease. It is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical manifestations (eg, rash) and the possibility of contact with infected ticks. Antibiotics usually help. But if you did not start treatment immediately, Lyme disease can cause serious problems with the joints, nervous system and heart.
• Spotted fever. Infection most often occurs at the peak of tick activity. This is a serious or even fatal disease if left untreated in the first few days after symptoms are detected. Possible complications: inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), inflammation of the heart or lungs, renal failure, serious infection, which will lead to amputation of the affected limb, death.
• Tularemia. It is a rare infectious disease. Highly contagious and potentially fatal. It can be treated as soon as possible after symptoms are detected with antibiotics. Possible complications: pneumonia (pneumonia), infection around the brain and spinal cord (meningitis), irritation around the heart (pericarditis), bone infections (osteomyelitis).
• Ehrlichiosis. Diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, clinical tests. Without timely treatment, ehrlichiosis can have serious consequences for a healthy adult or child. People with a weakened immune system have a higher risk of serious and potentially life-threatening consequences: kidney failure, respiratory failure, heart failure, convulsions, coma.
• Relapsing fever. It is characterized by episodic bouts of fever, which lasts several days, and then passes, followed by another bout. This process can be repeated one to four times. Given proper treatment, most patients recover within a few days. Long-term complications are rare, but include various diseases in the field of neuropathy.
• Babesiosis The disease destroys red blood cells and causes a special type of anemia called “hemolytic anemia,” which can lead to jaundice (yellowing of the skin) and dark urine. The disease is especially dangerous for people who have a weak immune system for various reasons (for example, cancer, lymphoma or AIDS), there are other serious diseases (for example, liver or kidney). Possible complications: low and unstable blood pressure, severe hemolytic anemia (hemolysis), very low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), diffuse intravascular coagulation, which can lead to the formation of blood clots and bleeding, malfunction of vital organs (e.g., kidneys, lungs, liver ), death.

Symptoms of tick-borne diseases

Some people have an allergic reaction to a tick bite. It can be mild, with several annoying symptoms. In rare cases, a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) is observed.

Many of the diseases caused by tick bites carry flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, and so on. Manifestations can begin both on the first day after a tick bite, and only on the third week.

Examples of possible symptoms for specific tick-borne diseases

What diseases do ticks affect dogs and cats?

As mentioned above, ticks “hunt” for all living creatures. That is, dogs and cats can also bring home an uninvited guest.

Tick-borne diseases in dogs can manifest themselves with various symptoms:

• Granulocytic anaplasmosis. Most affected dogs from eight years of age and older. Symptoms: fever, lack of appetite, lethargy, muscle pain. In rare cases, vomiting and diarrhea, coughing, and convulsions are possible. The incubation period lasts from a week to two.
• Babesiosis, or pyroplasmosis. Dogs of fighting breeds are most exposed. Common symptoms: lethargy, refusal of food, fever. A dog that has previously been treated for this disease can be a carrier of the disease for a long time. Infection occurs in the first twenty-four hours. The incubation period lasts from one week to three.
• Lyme disease, or borreliosis. Most often, the disease proceeds without the appearance of obvious symptoms. But there may be loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, lameness. Infection occurs after twenty-four hours of being a tick on the dog's body. The incubation period lasts a month.
• Monocytic ehrlichiosis. There is no exact data on the incubation period. And the symptoms can be absolutely any. The severity of the disease is due to the general health of the dog.
• Hepatozoonosis. A disease that is transmitted not as a result of a tick bite, but when a parasite enters the dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Possible symptoms: chills and fever, pale mucous membranes, weight loss, lethargy, muscle pain.
• Infectious cyclic thrombocytopenia. The incubation period lasts from eight to fifteen days. Possible symptoms in a severe form of the disease: chills and fever, pale mucous membranes, pet lethargy, nosebleeds, enlarged lymph nodes.
• Demodecosis Symptoms: hair loss, baldness of some parts of the body, small wounds.
• Ear mites. Symptoms: constant itching in the auricle, its redness, the presence of an abundant amount of dark brown or black sulfur, constant shaking of the head.

And what diseases do ticks carry to cats? In fact, many owners of cats that live in the city believe that if the animal does not go outside, then the tick is not afraid of it. A parasite can enter an apartment in several ways. For example, through an open window or host items. Tick-borne diseases for cats can be different:

• Demodecosis (the symptoms are the same as in dogs).
• Mite cheyletiella. Possible symptoms: peeling of the skin, baldness of some parts of the body, the appearance of wounds.

• Cat scabies. Symptoms: wounds on the body as a result of constant scratching from itching, hair loss.
• Lyme disease (see above for details).
• Ear mites (see details above).

How to pull out a tick?

If you are not sure if you can remove the parasite from the skin yourself, that is, remove it completely, it is better not to carry out this procedure at home, but to get to the nearest medical institution. After all, diseases that carry ticks can spread through his head.

You can remove the bloodsucker with the following tools:

• curved tweezers;
• surgical clamp;
• with a special hook to extract ticks from the body (can be found in the pharmacy).

How to remove a tick:

1. The tool is wiped with alcohol to disinfect.
2. The tweezers or clamp is placed as close as possible to the proboscis of the parasite.
3. The tick is captured and slightly pulled.
4. The tool is rotated around its axis in one direction.
5. After several revolutions, the parasite is removed along with the proboscis.

If you do not have the necessary tools, then the tick can be removed with a simple thread. To do this, make a loop at the end of the thread and throw it on the tick. Then pull the yarn, gently shaking it from side to side.

What can not be done when pulling a tick?

In no case should a parasite be pulled out of the body using sunflower or other oil. Diseases transmitted by ticks can also be transmitted along with substances that the parasite burps due to blockage of proboscis oil.

Also, you can not use the following substances:

• caustic fluids (e.g. ammonia or gasoline);
• compresses;
• various ointments.

When extracting a tick, do not do the following:

• bring fire closer to the parasite;
• sharply pull out the tool;
• use a dirty tool;
• picking a tick and a wound with a needle;
• crush the parasite with your fingers.

What to do after being pulled out of the skin of a tick?

Regardless of when the parasite was extracted (it is understood how long after the bite), it is recommended to do the following procedures:

1. A few days to monitor the temperature and well-being in general.
2. Keep track of the bite: does the swelling, redness, swelling, and so on.
3. Consult a doctor if you find that you are unwell or the tick has been removed after a long time.
4. Take the medications prescribed by your doctor.

If you want to make sure that the diseases transmitted by the tick are not afraid of you, that is, you did not have time to get infected, you can take a blood test. Only immediately carry it out there is no point. Some diseases can be detected only a couple of weeks after unpleasant contact with the parasite.

How to reduce the risk?

Why do ticks carry diseases? The answer to this question does not exist. But you can prevent infection from the parasite. To do this, there are a number of preventive measures.

General measures to reduce the number of ticks in a particular area:

• Processing the site with special chemicals in early spring in order to destroy adults and laid eggs.
• The destruction of rodents and pests.
• Mowing tall grass (lawn mowing and weed removal).
• Burning fallen leaves that have remained since winter.
• The planting of certain types of plants in which insecticides are produced that repel ticks. An example is the Caucasian, Dalmatian and Persian chamomile.

Preventive measures for humans

1. Avoid prolonged stay in the forest, in a swamp and in tall grass.
2. Visit areas where ticks can potentially be visited fully dressed (high collar and headgear required).
3. Use special tools that are designed to repel ticks. It can be sprays acting on the principle of repellents, or electric repellents that emit special ultrasonic pulses that irritate the hearing of ticks. Human and animal hearing does not pick them up.
4. After walking in potentially dangerous places, inspect your clothing and skin.

Animal Prevention

1. From time to time, treat your pet with special drugs that are sold in veterinary pharmacies and pet stores. It can be shampoos, sprays, drops and medicines.
2. Put on a cat or dog a collar that repels fleas and ticks.
3. Upon arrival, inspect your pet. Even in the city there may be ticks that do not stick to a person, but can to a dog.

Always be vigilant and attentive in nature, examine yourself, your loved ones and pets after walking. Once identified and removed, the tick will not do much harm.