Presentation
PATIENTS: Seven patients who returned from Zimbabwe of the Republic of South Africa and presented with fever. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Entire Body System
- Camping
Those participating in Boy Scout camps, Young Women camps, and other Church-sponsored outdoor activities should take precautions to prevent tick bites. How can tick bites be prevented? Avoid direct contact with ticks. [churchofjesuschrist.org]
Yen Lau, 32, from Glasgow, got Lyme disease after being bitten on a camping trip on a small island on Loch Lomond. She was unaware of the risk posed by infected ticks and covered a tell-tale rash on her hand with make-up. [bbc.com]
When one gets on your body, it sets up camp. It finds a place to eat, then burrows its head into your skin and starts feeding. And it’ll stay there for several days. [webmd.com]
Outdoor activities, such as camping, hiking, or fishing put you at greater risk than remaining in an urban setting. But the risk of infection also depends on the time that ticks remain on their hosts. The earlier a tick is recognized, the better. [internations.org]
Prevention Travellers who hike, camp, or undertake outdoor activities in wooded regions or who frequent city parks of endemic areas should take measures to prevent tick bites. Use a repellent containing 20%-30% DEET or 20% Picaridin. [iamat.org]
- Lymphadenopathy
Further physical examination of patients revealed lymphadenopathy, lymphangitis, and edema, but there were virtually no signs of a rash. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
- Anorexia
We observed severe and long-lasting general symptoms, including fever (in 75% of patients), chills (87.5%), asthenia (50%), anorexia (50%), and weight loss (12.5%). [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Rickettsial infection (tick typhus) presents as fever, lethargy, anorexia, arthralgia, generalised rash and a plaque with eschar at the original tick bite site. [aci.health.nsw.gov.au]
- Malaise
Anaplasmosis – Symptoms ranging from mild to severe include high fever, headache, a general sick feeling (malaise), achy muscles (myalgia), nausea, vomiting, cough, stiff neck and confusion. [drugs.com]
They often express themselves through fever, exhaustion, and general malaise. Borreliosis and TBE are both diseases transmitted by ticks. However, while vaccination against TBE is possible, such protection does not exist with borreliosis. [dedimed.com]
Gastrointestinal
- Loss of Appetite
They can include fever, headache, joint swelling and muscle pain, and in some cases, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite. A rash is a common symptom for most but not all tick-borne diseases. [consumerreports.org]
He developed a full-body rash, swelling, head pain, and a loss of appetite. Doctors diagnosed Oblisk with Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), a potentially life-threatening bacterial infection acquired through tick bites. [insider.com]
Skin
- Insect Bite
Location can sometimes help distinguish tick bites from other insect bites because ticks most commonly bite the back of the neck, scalp, groin, and legs. Other insect bites may be multiple in number. [igenex.com]
No matter how careful you are about animals in your home, or how much care you take when your child is outdoors playing, insect bites are sometimes unavoidable. [lluch.org]
More details on insect bite prevention. There is no preventive vaccine or medication against Lyme Disease. Borrelia bacteria images, life cycle, and distribution maps: Infection Landscapes Information last updated: March 21, 2019 [iamat.org]
- Papule
We report a 6-year-old girl who developed a red papule on the posterior neck at the site of a previous tick bite. Initial biopsy was performed a year after the bite and the specimen showed a dense lymphoid infiltrate with admixed CD30+ cells. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Musculoskeletal
- Muscle Weakness
However, the following symptoms can develop as a reaction to tick secretions: Fever Headache Muscle pain Joint pain Fatigue Muscle weakness Skin reactions include: Pus-filled bumps Hardened skin elevations Nodules (granulomas) that, in rare cases, can [drugs.com]
These may include memory loss, muscle weakness, fatigue, fevers that come and go, and declining cognitive functions. Careful observation is an important first step after identifying any tick bite. [igenex.com]
Patients suffering from tick paralysis experience muscle weakness or inability to move. These symptoms start in the lower limbs and spread up the body. [poison.org]
- Arthralgia
Rickettsial infection (tick typhus) presents as fever, lethargy, anorexia, arthralgia, generalised rash and a plaque with eschar at the original tick bite site. [aci.health.nsw.gov.au]
Psychiatrical
- Fear
By staying calm and knowing some basic first aid, you can help your child overcome both the fear and the stress of bites. [lluch.org]
Maybe you’ve had that moment, where you feel a little tickle on your chest, leg, or arm, you investigate, figuring maybe an ant or some other relatively benign insect has crawled its way onto your body, but upon closer inspection, a stab of fear joins [vpr.org]
Without my fear of bacteria in my blood, I was able to keep my appointment at the blood bank. Alas, winter had returned, and significant snow blanketed the roads. The Bloodmobile was cancelled. Oh well. [eureka.criver.com]
Heartbroken parents have told of how they fear Lyme disease was to blame for the death of their daughter. Carly Ellis was diagnosed with the infection in 2011, with doctors saying a two-week course of antibiotics would 'clear' her. [msn.com]
Understanding the basics of Lyme transmission, diagnosis and treatment can go a long way in helping allay fears around this increasingly common disease. Let’s break down some of the most popular questions people have about Lyme disease. [bca-clinic.de]
- Withdrawn
Gregory Poland, director the Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, says there was a vaccine for humans, but it was withdrawn. [mayoclinic.org]
Neurologic
- Meningism
The Mayo Clinic states new symptoms may appear in the following 'weeks to months', including joint pain, meningitis, temporarily facial paralysis, weak limbs and impaired muscle movement. [msn.com]
Carly Ellis, 39, was found dead in bed on June 29, having spent eight years in and out of hospital with meningitis, sepsis, and pneumonia, as well as ear and chest infections. [7news.com.au]
TBE, which can lead to meningitis, is typically transmitted to humans through tick bites. For every 100 people who are bitten by an infected tick, about 30 percent contract the disease, according to researchers. [thelocal.de]
Long-term, both diseases can develop into chronic conditions like arthritis and meningitis - and can even be fatal. And, according to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), incidences of both diseases are on the rise in Germany. [iamexpat.de]
Symptoms include severe headaches, meningitis, swollen joints, skin lesions, heart palpitations, dizziness, persistent fatigue, sleep disturbance, as well as loss of muscle tone in the face (Bell's palsy). [iamat.org]
- Ataxia
It can cause ataxia and an ascending flaccid paralysis that resembles Guillain-Barre syndrome. Cranial nerve palsies may occur causing opthalmoplegia or facial paralysis similar to Bell’s Palsy. [aci.health.nsw.gov.au]
Treatment
As awareness of Lyme disease as a public health threat increases, so does the concern around its transmission and treatment. [bca-clinic.de]
Currently the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) recommends treatment only in the presence of erythema migrans or seropositivity with symptoms of systemic disease. [mdedge.com]
✓ Treats the sensitive skin after a tick bite ✓ Combats 99.9% of all bacteria and germs ARDAP Tick bite treatment, 75ml | EAN: 4019181774156 Item No.: 077415 [quiko.de]
Most patients need a 2 to 3-week course of treatment. Why Is LMG Cornwall Urgent Care My Best Choice For Tick Bite Treatment? With tick bites, time is of the essence. [lmgurgentcare.com]
The patient recovered without any sequelae after 7 days treatment with doxycycline. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Prognosis
The mechanism for hair loss is poorly understood, but the prognosis for hair regrowth appears to be favorable. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Prognosis If no infectious organisms have been transmitted by the tick, you should recover from symptoms within a day or two. The outlook for specific tick-borne illnesses varies. [drugs.com]
Etiology
Although the etiology of intermediate cell histiocytosis is not well understood, this case raises the possibility that such infiltrates may represent an inflammatory reaction in some patients. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Epidemiology
CONCLUSIONS: This report further highlights the epidemiological and clinical features of African tick bite fever. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
People who download The Tick App are also invited to participate in an epidemiological study describing things like where they live and what they do so researchers can get a sense of their risk factors for tickborne illnesses. [self.com]
Prevention
For more information on ticks and preventing tick bites, visit: U.S. [herald-union.com]
These results show that there is still a lot of potential for prevention through consistent symptom control. [zhaw.ch]
References Preventing tick bites. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 16 May 2018 [accessed 2 Jul 2018]. Tick removal and testing. Atlanta: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 21 May 2018 [accessed Jul 2 2018]. [poison.org]
Long pants and sleeves deter but don’t prevent ticks. Tucking pants into socks is helpful, but it’s more effective to treat clothing with tick preventive products. [primehealthdenver.com]
The tick vaccine is only effective for preventing tick-borne encephalitis (TBE); it does not prevent Lyme disease. Learn more about the symptoms and progression of Lyme disease from our blog. [helsana.ch]