A dangerous and also common disease is tick-borne encephalitis. The incubation period, symptoms and treatment of the disease - all this deserves special attention, since the disease is a danger not only to the patient’s health and well-being, but also to his life. Therapeutic activities should begin as early as possible.
Caution: tick-borne encephalitis!
The success of treatment largely depends on how quickly the incubation period of tick - borne encephalitis passes and the disease will make itself felt. From the moment of infection, a person may not even assume that he is sick and needs help.
Today, questions about this ailment are acute and require immediate answers. In particular, what is this disease and what consequences can it threaten a person? How long does the incubation period of tick - borne encephalitis last and what actions should be taken in the first place? The answers should be known to all modern residents, since each of us is at risk (without exaggeration!).
It is worth noting that tick-borne encephalitis can occur in any region of Russia, but in some geographical areas, statistics indicate whole outbreaks of viral pathology. Its carriers are representatives of blood-sucking arthropod insects - ixodid ticks. The virus, which penetrated the human body, gets to nerve cells and the cerebral cortex, rapidly affecting the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system. The lack of timely treatment in most cases is fraught with death of the sick.
Types of Encephalitis Virus Infection
Today, scientists are aware of several forms of the virus that are spread by insects among humans and animals:
- Encephalitis of the western type (represents the mildest form of the disease, having a wave-like course).
- Encephalitis of the Far Eastern type (a serious infectious disease, which is the most virulent of the three).
- Encephalitis of the Siberian type (also threatens the life of the patient, but in comparison with the previous one has a lesser degree of virulence).
A characteristic feature of the damaging microorganism can be called the fact that it settles in the motor structures of the nervous system.
While the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis lasts, a person has no symptoms. Once settled in the cell structure, the virus can remain there for a long time and in no way provoke a protective immune response.
How does infection happen?
So, back to the carriers. As already mentioned, they are ticks. From the point of view of epidemiologists, European and taiga individuals are of particular danger. It is these subspecies of arthropods that feed on the blood of mammals, including humans. The spread of infection is simple:
- The parasite enters the skin, not protected by clothing.
- He bites through the tissue in order to drink blood.
- Introduces saliva, which helps to numb the bite site. This is the most insidious ability of ticks, because of it a person can not immediately come to his senses and understand that the parasite has already penetrated under his skin.
- Together with saliva, pathogenic particles enter the bloodstream, from this moment the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis begins, the signs of which are still completely absent.
The greatest danger to humans is female ticks. They can live “secretly” on the host’s body for several days, in contrast to males, which are saturated with human blood instantly and often disappear before the bitten host even notices their presence or traces. The activity of these arthropods is believed to be seasonal. Epidemiologists note that the peak incidence occurs at the beginning and end of summer.
How is the disease transmitted to humans?
An important point in the study of issues related to tick-borne encephalitis are the likely routes of transmission of viral infection. As a rule, people become infected directly from the carrier, i.e., when a tick enters the body. But you can catch such a dangerous disease in other ways.
You should immediately pay attention to the fact that for those around you, a person who has caught tick-borne encephalitis is absolutely safe. The incubation period or phase of the acute manifestation of the disease does not make a person a latent threat to others, if only because the infection does not pass by airborne droplets.
What is impossible to say about alimentary transmission of the virus, not to mention direct contact with blood. For example, you can become infected in the following ways:
- eating meat, milk, eggs, cottage cheese, etc., the producer of which was an animal with encephalitis,
- in utero - from mother to fetus (in case of a bite during pregnancy).
Features of the virus are its endurance and vitality. Pathogens remain intact and unharmed even at incredibly low temperatures.
Features of the incubation period and its duration
To understand what the incubation period for tick-borne encephalitis is, it is necessary to consider its symptoms and main manifestations. In most cases, the latent phase of the disease lasts from 1 to 2 weeks. However, these data are averaged. In fact, the first signs may appear on the day after infection, although medical practice knows many cases when the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis lasted about a month. In this case, the specialists manage to make a diagnosis in a timely manner, which means that they can start treatment much earlier, which in itself gives the patient considerable chances of the probability of a speedy recovery.
At the moment, doctors conditionally divide the course of the disease into several phases:
- At the first stage (latent) any signs of infection are completely absent. This is the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis.
- Next comes the phase of intoxication, since the virus, once in the blood, managed to move to the nerve fibers.
- At the third stage, the "silent" stage is completed, the signs of the disease are quite significant. Especially pronounced are disorders of the central nervous system.
- During treatment, an immunity to the disease begins to form. The fourth stage of the disease ends with recovery.
Tick-borne encephalitis symptoms
So, in the second stage, the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis passes into the active phase.
The characteristic sensations during the illness, as noted by patients, are:
- headache;
- high body temperature (up to 40 degrees);
- nausea, vomiting;
- general weakness of the body, a feeling of tiredness is constantly present;
- sleep-wake cycle disorders.
However, this condition cannot be called stable. The disease progresses especially rapidly, patients are increasingly finding soreness in the muscles of their entire body. The muscles and ligaments of the upper trunk and limbs are particularly affected.
Tick-borne encephalitis in a child
The incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis in children proceeds in almost the same way as in adult patients. It also lasts 7-14 days. But the child’s weak body is not able to hold the virus for a long time, the latent stage of the disease does not last long. Symptoms in childhood are more pronounced. The following clinical picture is added to the listed symptoms in children:
- the child may rave;
- his mind is confused;
- fainting occurs;
- there is hyperemia and swelling of the skin.
By the signs of the disease, you can determine the form in which tick-borne encephalitis occurs.
The incubation period (symptoms, manifesting themselves, indicate that the disease is progressing) ends, and then it is important to establish the specificity of the disease.
In what forms can the disease occur?
The most common and less dangerous form of the disease is manifested by the symptoms discussed above. This is a febrile form, however, besides it, there may be others:
- meningial;
- meningoencephalic;
- polio-like;
- polyradiculoneuritis.
The two-wave course of the disease is the most common scenario in which tick-borne encephalitis develops. The incubation period in this case ends immediately with the manifestation of the first wave of fever. Often she is mistakenly taken for a cold or respiratory illness. Indeed, in addition to high body temperature and general weakness of the body, there are no symptoms. When the fever disappears, a person who is confident of full recovery from the “cold” takes no action.
Body temperature may be normal until the onset of the second wave of the disease, which will also be accompanied by fever. But only this time, brain cell damage will begin to manifest itself fully.
Treatment during the incubation period - high chances of success
Tick-borne encephalitis can manifest itself in completely different ways. The incubation period after a bite can last quite long or vice versa, it all depends on many factors: the protective antiviral forces of the body, the presence of concomitant diseases, etc. In most cases, it is not possible to diagnose an ailment in time. In fact, the fault is caused by the long incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis, which, when it is inoculated in the human body, but does not manifest itself in any way, does not allow the patient to take timely measures.
In any case, with the first symptoms, even those that, at first glance, would not look intimidating, it is necessary to get poisoned by a doctor. Especially if over the past month, contact with the arthropod was recorded by the person himself.
Where does the viral infection lie in wait?
From all of the above, it is easy to guess what exactly causes tick-borne encephalitis. The causes of the disease lie in the bite of an insect parasite. In order to prevent the most dangerous infectious infection, you need to know about prevention and rules of behavior in case of a tick bite.
Firstly, walks in the woods or in open areas with high grassy vegetation are potentially fraught with danger. Therefore, each time, returning, it is necessary to revise things for the presence of an ixodid tick.
Secondly, when it is detected, you must immediately go to a medical institution, where the surgeon can professionally help get rid of the bloodsucker. In no case should you take any actions yourself and with dirty hands using any non-sterile improvised objects to try to pull out the parasite. The body of the tick is easy to get, but it is extremely important that the head is removed.
Thirdly, it is undesirable to throw the parasite extracted from under the skin. It must be delivered to the laboratory in order to establish its infection. If the virus is confirmed in its saliva, it will be possible to begin treatment during the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. The second disease, also affecting the central nervous system, is provoked by a tick and has a fairly severe course.
Late Treatment Complications
The most insidious stage is the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis. The treatment is delayed, no action is taken, which means that the disease can calmly progress, and nothing is going to stop her from doing this. Here are just the complications that provokes the ailment, can not only radically change the patient’s lifestyle, but also lead to disability or, with a worse prognosis, death.
It is believed that the most favorable prognosis for recovery in patients with meningeal and febrile forms of the disease. The entire therapeutic course can go smoothly, while the patient's condition will remain stable. Full recovery can be achieved after a month of treatment.
The remaining forms of the disease pose a threat to the patient's life. In many cases, epilepsy develops. Complications of encephalitis significantly affect the work and condition of the brain. Swelling first appears, which could potentially lead to coma and death. When a virus infects nerves in the cranial brain, irreversible processes (paralysis, speech disturbances, strabismus, and swallowing problems) occur. In almost 90% of cases, patients who have undergone such complications become disabled.
Tick-borne encephalitis therapy: folk remedies or medicines?
When the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis ends and the disease begins to manifest itself, it is important to immediately begin treatment. It is worth saying that self-medication is doomed to failure. Why risk your health and life if, turning to a professional, you can cope with the disease without waiting for the appearance of negative consequences?
Tick-borne encephalitis is one of those diseases where alternative, alternative medicine is completely powerless. Treatment of the disease usually takes place within the walls of an inpatient hospital. Hospitalization, bed rest, diet menus and maximum peace of mind are the main and necessary conditions for therapy.
What drugs should be taken?
The drug course of treatment begins with the introduction of specific immunoglobulin serum into the body. The drug is conjugated with antiviral agents, the most effective in this situation are interferon-containing.
The next necessary group of medicines are antiviral inducers, among which doctors most often prefer Neovir, Amiksin and Cycloferon.
It is equally important that the patient undergoes a complete detoxification of the body. In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs can be prescribed in parallel, as well as improving trophic nerve fibers and blood circulation.
On average, a treatment course lasts about a month. After discharge, the person remains at the dispensary registration with a neurologist and infectious disease specialist. Once in the next six months, the patient must undergo a complete examination. Periodic diagnosis will avoid the development of chronic encephalitis. In this form, the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis in humans is absent, the disease manifests itself at the stage of exacerbation. Symptoms, as a rule, remain independent of the therapy. The danger of the chronic form of the disease lies in the high probability of developing complications in the form of paresis, paralysis, epilepsy, etc.
Encephalitis Vaccine
Of particular note is the prevention of this serious disease, which is no exception to the rule: it, like other ailments, is easier to prevent than to treat. In addition to the classical methods that protect the human body from being bitten (proper wearing of clothes in the forest, careful examination of the body for the presence of sucking parasites, the use of external repellent insects, etc.), medical preventive measures are also considered effective.
First of all, we are talking about vaccination against the disease. Vaccination injection, containing a meager dose of the pathogen, is aimed at enhancing and enhancing the immune system. When ingested, the vaccine helps to produce the necessary antibodies.
Most often, people living in potentially dangerous geographical areas densely populated by carriers of the disease are vaccinated. However, the vaccination will last for three years, after the expiration of the term, the manipulation is repeated.
Prevention during the incubation period
Often, preventive measures are carried out during the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis. Prevention is the introduction of specific immunoglobulin. In the first three days after a bite, when the disease is at a latent stage of its development, it is much easier to prevent the further progression of the infection.
In addition, drugs are actively used that are used both to prevent the onset of infection, and as emergency antiviral actions. For adults, Iodantipirin is considered an effective remedy, and for children, Anaferon. In any case, the appointment of medications should be carried out by the attending physician; it is strictly forbidden to take medications on your own.