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? These questions will be discussed 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 damp places: deciduous forests, lawns with tall grass, swampy areas. These parasites are most active throughout the summer.
Getting on the open areas of the skin, they begin to feed on the blood of a living creature. But, unlike a mosquito, which can be driven away or swatted, a tick is not so easy to get rid of. It sticks to the skin, and if you remove it incorrectly and leave its head in the body, then even after death the bloodsucker will release toxic substances and infect the body.
What diseases do ticks carry to humans?
If you notice a tick in time and remove it from the body, then there will be no consequences for the body. But ifnot detect the parasite, then the person will begin to weaken and may fall ill with one of the serious diseases.
Diseases carried by ticks manifest themselves differently in humans:
- Tick-borne encephalitis. There are two forms: mild or the first, which is characterized by nonspecific fevers with headache, muscle pain and fatigue, and severe, or the second, which is accompanied by involvement of the central nervous system as a result of aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, myelitis. Complications are possible only in the absence of treatment.
- Lyme disease. Diagnosed based on symptoms, physical manifestations (eg, rash), and exposure to infected ticks. Antibiotics usually help. But if you do not start treatment immediately, then Lyme disease can cause serious problems with the joints, nervous system and heart.
- Spotted fever. Infections most often occur at the peak of tick activity. It is a severe or even fatal illness if not treated in the first few days after symptoms are discovered. Possible complications: inflammation of the brain (encephalitis), inflammation of the heart or lungs, kidney failure, serious infection leading 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 symptoms are detected with antibiotics. Possible complications: pneumonia (pneumonia), infection aroundbrain and spinal cord (meningitis), irritation around the heart (pericarditis), bone infection (osteomyelitis).
- Ehrlichiosis. Diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, clinical tests. Without timely treatment, ehrlichiosis can have serious consequences for a he althy adult or child. People with weakened immune systems have a higher risk of serious and potentially life-threatening consequences: kidney failure, respiratory failure, heart failure, seizures, coma.
- Relapsing fever. It is characterized by episodic bouts of fever that last for several days and then subside, 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 neuropathic conditions.
- 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 (eg cancer, lymphoma or AIDS) and other serious diseases (eg liver or kidney disease). Possible complications: low and unstable blood pressure, severe hemolytic anemia (hemolysis), very low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), disseminated intravascular coagulation, which can lead to blood clots andbleeding, malfunction of vital organs (eg, kidneys, lungs, liver), death.
Tick-borne disease symptoms
Some people have an allergic reaction to a tick bite. It can be mild, with a few annoying symptoms. Rarely, a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) occurs.
Many of the diseases from tick bites have 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
| Tick-borne diseases in humans | Symptoms: list and time of their manifestation |
| Lyme Disease |
Fatigue, headache, stiff neck, fever, muscle and joint pain, and sometimes a red rash that looks like a bullseye. Most often appears a few days after infection. |
| Spotted Fever |
Sudden fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, rash, nausea and vomiting. The rash is usually many tiny, flat, purple or red spots (petechial rash). Starts at the wrists and ankles, then spreads to the arms, legs and the rest of the body. |
| Tularemia |
Chills and highfever up to 41.1°C, often sudden onset, headache, ulcer (open wound) at the site of the bite, swollen glands near the affected area, nausea and vomiting. Symptoms usually appear within twenty-one days (but average from one to ten days) after a tick bite. |
| Ehrlichiosis |
Fever, chills, headache, feeling generally unwell (malaise), nausea and vomiting, purple or red rash. Symptoms usually appear from one to twenty-one days (seven days on average) after a tick bite. |
| Relapsing fever |
High fever that starts suddenly, headache, fast heartbeat, muscle pain (myalgia), abdominal pain, general malaise, rash (up to 50% of cases). Symptoms usually begin on the third to eleventh day (six days on average) after a tick bite. |
| Tick-borne encephalitis |
Fever and chills may occur. The incubation period is quite short, so symptoms usually appear within three to four days. |
| Babesiosis |
General malaise, loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, chills, sweating that comes on suddenly and also goes away, muscle pain (myalgia). Appear from the first to the fourth week after a tick bite. |
What diseases do ticks carry to dogs and cats?
As mentioned above, ticks "prey" on allLiving creatures. That is, dogs and cats can also bring home an uninvited guest.
Tick-borne diseases in dogs can present with a variety of symptoms:
- Granulocytic anaplasmosis. Most affected by this disease are dogs eight years of age and older. Symptoms: fever, lack of appetite, lethargy, muscle pain. In rare cases, vomiting and diarrhea, cough, convulsions are possible. The incubation period lasts from a week to two.
- Babesiosis, or piroplasmosis. Dogs of fighting breeds are most susceptible. Common symptoms: lethargy, refusal to eat, fever. A dog previously treated for this disease may be a carrier for the disease for a long time to come. Infection occurs in the first twenty-four hours. The incubation period lasts from one to three weeks.
- Lyme disease, or borreliosis. Most often, the disease occurs without the appearance of obvious symptoms. But loss of appetite, swollen lymph nodes, lameness is possible. Infection occurs after twenty-four hours of the tick on the body of the dog. The incubation period lasts a month.
- Monocytic ehrlichiosis. There is no exact data on the incubation period. And the symptoms can be absolutely anything. The severity of the disease is determined by the overall he alth of the dog.
- Hepatozoonosis. A disease that is not transmitted as a result of a tick bite, but when a parasite enters the gastrointestinal tract of a dog. 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, swollen lymph nodes.
- Demodekoz. Symptoms: loss of hair, baldness of some parts of the body, small wounds.
- Ear mites. Symptoms: constant itching in the auricle, its redness, the presence of copious amounts of dark brown or black sulfur, constant shaking of the head.
And what diseases do ticks carry to cats? In fact, many cat owners who live in the city believe that if the animal does not go outside, then the tick is not afraid of him. The parasite can get into the apartment in several ways. For example, through an open window or the owner's things. Diseases carried by ticks to cats can vary:
- Demodicosis (same symptoms as dogs).
- Mite cheyletiella. Possible symptoms: peeling of the skin, baldness of some parts of the body, the appearance of wounds.
- Cat scabies. Symptoms: sores on the body as a result of constant itching from itching, hair loss.
- Lyme Disease (see above for details).
- Ear pliers (see above for details).
How to get a tick out?
If you are not sure that you can pull the parasite out of the skin yourself, that is, remove it completely, then it is better not to carry out this procedure at home, but to get tonearest medical facility. After all, the diseases that ticks carry can also spread through his head.
You can remove the bloodsucker with the following tools:
- curved tweezers;
- surgical clamp;
- with a special hook to remove ticks from the body (you can find it in a pharmacy).
How to properly remove a tick:
- The tool is wiped with alcohol for disinfection.
- The tweezers or clip is placed as close as possible to the proboscis of the parasite.
- The tick is grabbed and slightly pulled up.
- The tool is rotated around its axis in one direction.
- After a few turns, the parasite is removed along with the proboscis.
If you do not have the right tools, the tick can be removed with a simple thread. To do this, make a loop at the end of the thread and throw it over the tick. Then pull the yarn, gently swaying it from side to side.
What not to do when pulling out a tick?
In no case should a parasite be pulled out of the body with the help of sunflower or other oil. Diseases carried by ticks can also be transmitted along with substances that the parasite regurgitates due to oil blockage of the proboscis.
Also do not use the following substances:
- corrosive liquids (such as ammonia or gasoline);
- compresses;
- various ointments.
When extracting a tick, do not do the following:
- bring fire closer to the parasite;
- dramaticallypull out tool;
- use a dirty tool;
- pick the tick and the wound with a needle;
- crush the parasite with your fingers.
What to do after a tick is pulled out of the skin?
Regardless of when the parasite was removed (meaning how long after the bite), the following procedures are recommended:
- Monitor temperature and general well-being for several days.
- Monitor the bite site: whether swelling, redness, swelling, and so on disappear.
- See a doctor if you feel unwell or if a tick has been removed after a long time.
- Take whatever medication your doctor prescribes.
If you want to make sure that the diseases carried by the tick are not terrible for you, that is, you have not had time to become infected, you can take a blood test. It just doesn't make any sense to do it right now. Some diseases can be detected only a couple of weeks after an unpleasant contact with the parasite.
How to reduce the risk?
Why do ticks carry diseases? There is no answer to this question. But you can prevent infection from the parasite. There are a number of preventive measures for this.
General measures to reduce the number of ticks in a specific area:
- Treatment of the site with special chemicals in early spring to kill adults and laid eggs.
- Destruction of rodents and pests.
- Mowing long grass (lawn mowing and weed removal).
- Burning fallen leaves left over from winter.
- Planting some types of plants that produce insecticides that repel ticks. An example is Caucasian, Dalmatian and Persian chamomile.
Preventive measures for humans
- Avoid prolonged exposure to forests, swamps and tall grass.
- Tick-prone areas should be fully clothed (high collar and headgear required).
- Use special products that are designed to repel ticks. These can be sprays that act on the principle of repellents, or electric repellers that emit special ultrasonic pulses that irritate the hearing of ticks. Human and animal hearing does not pick them up.
- After walking in potentially dangerous places, inspect your clothes and skin.
Preventive measures for animals
- From time to time, treat your pet with special preparations that are sold in veterinary pharmacies and pet stores. These can be shampoos, sprays, drops and medicines.
- Get a flea and tick collar on your cat or dog.
- Check your pet when you get home. Even in the city there may be ticks that will not stick to a person, but they can to a dog.
Always be vigilant and attentive in nature, inspect yourself, your loved ones and pets after walking. A timely identified and removed tick will not cause much harm.
