Tick ​​bite

introduction

The tick, also common wooden buck called, belongs to the genus of Mites and represents a parasite for humans. It occurs all over Germany, parts of Austria and Switzerland, but can also be found in most other parts of the world.

Ticks prefer to stay in shady and damp places such as bushes, tall grass and on the ground in order to lurk there for a host. The hosts include small and large mammals, including humans. When passing by, ticks cling to fur or clothing and look for a suitable place to suck blood. Usually they look for a warm, thin-skinned and well-perfused area for the tick bite (Armpits, strip, Hollow of the knee, Hairline, pubic area).

She anchors herself with her mouthparts in the skin and secretes various substances into the wound. The tick sucks itself for a few days blood full until it has reached a multiple of its body weight. Then it drops off and is ready to lay eggs. Due to the anesthetic and anticoagulant effect of the secretion released by the tick when a tick bites, a bite is usually only noticed later.

Since ticks can transmit serious diseases, they should removed as soon as possible become.

distance

To remove the animal after a tick bite, you have various tools to choose from:

• tweezers: either normal forceps or tapered and curved ones Tick ​​tweezers

• Tick ​​card: Plastic card with slots in the corners, some in different sizes

• Tick ​​snare / tongs: by pressing the button at the upper end, the noose or the tong arms at the lower end opens and the tick can be caught.

No matter which device you choose, the tick should be grabbed directly above the skin on the head or the card should be pushed between the tick and the skin and do not touch the body. Then the animal is released straight out with slow twisting movements or careful pulling. It is carefully levered out with the card.

It is important that no part of the head remains in the tick bite wound and that the tick is removed as soon as possible to minimize the risk of disease transmission or inflammation.

The place where the tick bite occurred should be disinfected after removal.

If you don't trust yourself to remove it or if the tick has not been completely removed, you should go to one Family doctor go.

Never use oil, super glue or other substances for treatment. The animal can die as a result, but first it empties its stomach contents into the wound and the risk of transmission of bacteria and Viruses increases significantly. Also, do not pull the tick suddenly out of the skin, otherwise parts of the mouthparts may break off and remain in the wound.

The injection site should be observed for a few days so that changes can be noticed in good time. A photo on the first day is a good way to compare.

Symptoms

A tick bite usually goes unnoticed at the beginning and is more likely to be noticed by chance or targeted search.

However, local irritation such as itching, overheating, swelling and reddening can occur at the site of the tick bite.

Certain symptoms should be seen as a warning and should be clarified by a doctor, as they can be signs of an illness:

• The redness spreads to all sides over the course of a few days. A red border forms at the edges of the reddening, while the skin in the middle of the area tends to pale again. This rash after a tick bite is also called wandering redness or erythema migrans.

• There are flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle and body aches that cannot be attributed to another cause.

• Joint problems, conjunctivitis, muscle pain or neck pain occur that have not existed before.

Read more on the topic: Tick ​​bite itches - is that normal? and Fever after a tick bite

Possible secondary diseases

• Early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE)

TBE is triggered by a virus that can be transmitted to humans through tick bites.

Risk areas in Germany are mainly Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, parts of Hesse, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate from June to October.

The infection can occur 3-28 days after a tick bite. In the majority of up to 70% of those affected, the disease runs unnoticed.

About 30% of infected people experience flu-like symptoms after 7-20 days, which can turn into encephalitis or meningitis after a fever-free interval or brief recovery. This can include a high fever, severe headache, vomiting, or pain in the neck. Both diseases can exist at the same time. Depending on which area of ​​the brain is affected, it can lead to impaired consciousness and speech, paralysis and cramps.

TBE is detected by a blood or brain water test, which reveals increased antibodies against the virus. The disease must be treated as an inpatient, with the therapy being carried out symptomatically; there is no drug against the virus itself. After appropriate treatment and even after severe courses, the disease heals in many cases without any consequences. However, there is the possibility that residual symptoms remain and express themselves, for example, in the form of epilepsy.

TBE is not to be confused with neuroborreliosis. Read more on the topic Neuroborreliosis

Read more on the subject at: What can be the consequences of a tick bite?

A Vaccination against the TBE virus is possible and is recommended for people who either live or work in a risk area or who may come into contact through travel. The vaccination is administered according to a tested scheme: first vaccination 3 times within a year, then refresh every 3-5 years.

In rare cases, the TBE virus has been transmitted by infected cows, sheep or goats in risk areas after consuming raw milk.

• Lyme disease

The pathogens of this disease are also transmitted to humans through tick bites, in this case the bacteria of the group Borrelia.

The Lyme disease occurs not only throughout Germany, but also across Europe. After infection, it can take weeks to months before the first symptoms become noticeable.

It can lead to a further spreading painless redness around the puncture site come that becomes pale again in the middle (Wandering redness). Also flu-like symptoms like fever, muscle pain and headache without involvement of the lungs are possible.

It can also lead to paralysis of the facial muscles, Numbness, flaccid paralysis of the arms or legs, pain symptoms (including Joint pain) or to Inflammation of the heart muscle come.

Even years after an infection, joint pain, paresthesia or skin symptoms can occur for the first time. These skin symptoms are expressed in a bluish-red discoloration the skin, mainly on the insides of the poor and legs, but also at the nose, Fingers and toes can occur.

The diagnosis of Lyme disease is made from a combination of the physical examination or the description of the existing symptoms and the results of laboratory tests. This is not always easy, as the symptoms can also occur in other diseases, do not build on one another and sometimes can only appear years after a tick bite. A laboratory test cannot unequivocally prove a disease. The blood is examined for the presence of antibodies against Borrelia, so that contact with the bacterium can be detected. Many people who carry these antibodies without having borreliosis also show a positive result. On the other hand, the lack of antibodies almost excludes Lyme disease, unless the blood sample was taken shortly after the tick bite, as the body needs time to produce antibodies.

For the diagnosis it is therefore important that the Laboratory result and the existing symptoms match Lyme disease and follow-up checks are carried out in order to increase the certainty of the diagnosis and not to miss an onset of the disease. At the same time, other possible diseases should be considered and excluded.

If the diagnosis Lyme disease is made, the therapy is carried out using Antibiotics carried out. If there is an acute suspicion due to the physical symptoms without confirmation of elevated antibodies against Lyme disease, antibiotic therapy is started as a precaution.

There is currently a vaccination against Lyme disease Not.

There are a variety of other diseases that tick bites can transmit to humans, for example Rickettsioses, Babesiosen or Anaplasmosis. However, since these occur very rarely or do not occur in Germany, they are not listed here.

prevention

After spending time in the great outdoors, it is advisable to check your body for ticks while showering or changing clothes, especially in the preferred areas mentioned. Especially when you've sat in tall grass or walked through undergrowth.

If a tick bite has already occurred, the tick should be removed as quickly as possible.

Long clothing also protects, as the tick takes longer to even get to the skin. Shake the clothes well after wearing them and check for ticks if necessary.

Insect repellants suitable for the skin and ticks can also be used, but the protection only lasts for a few hours.

As already described above, vaccination is only possible against TBE and is also recommended for certain groups of people.

Pregnancy and children

Even during pregnancy it can happen that the expectant mother is bitten by a tick. In this case, it is especially important to remove the tick as soon as possible. The puncture site should be carefully observed for a few days and if there are signs of migration of the redness (see above), a doctor's visit is required. Both the TBE virus and Lyme disease can theoretically pass from an infected mother to the unborn child.

For this reason, a TBE vaccination should be considered before pregnancy in mothers who live in a risk area. It is also assumed that the antibodies of a vaccinated mother can also be transmitted to the child, thus giving the child initial protection.

If a tick bite occurs, it should be removed as soon as possible and the puncture site carefully observed. If the removed tick is already larger or if the reddening begins to migrate, the responsible doctor should consider antibiotic prophylaxis.

If antibodies against Borrelia are found in a laboratory test, it is important to carry out detailed ultrasound examinations of the child in order to be able to follow an inconspicuous development.

Read more on this topic at: Tick ​​bite during pregnancy

If there is a suspicion of transmission to the child, the responsible pediatrician should be informed of this fact so that any consequences can be quickly identified and treated.

With small children but also older children, the risk of being bitten by ticks is slightly higher because they like to spend a lot of time outside and play. Also, a child's thinner skin makes it easier for a tick to bite.

It is therefore particularly important to check children thoroughly for ticks after playing outdoors and to remove them if necessary. Here, too, of course, keep a close eye on the puncture site and, if you have flu-like symptoms, consider visiting a doctor shortly after the sting.

A vaccination against the TBE virus can be carried out from 1 year of age and is especially recommended for children who live in a risk area. TBE disease is usually less severe in children and adolescents than in adults and the risk of permanent damage is lower. Nevertheless, there is the possibility of a severe course and subsequent complications such as a learning disability. The severity of the course cannot be predicted at the beginning.