The tick is a carrier of diseases. Video
With the onset of warmth, all nature comes to life, including ticks – small arachnids that pose a danger to humans. Ticks are carriers of many diseases, so it is important to act quickly when they bite.
Tick - a carrier of diseases
These tiny animals become active already with the first warming. The peak of their activity is in April-May. Females need blood to reproduce. At the end of August, the second wave of tick-borne bites occurs – the grown larvae feed on blood in order to develop into an adult. The bite itself is not dangerous, but ticks are carriers of many diseases. The most dangerous of them are encephalitis and borrelliasis. These diseases can cause damage to the nervous system, disability and even death.
In addition to encephalitis and borreliosis, ticks are carriers of babesiosis, hemorrhagic fever, rickettsiosis, tularemia, ehrlichiosis and other diseases.
What to do with a tick bite
The first step is to remove the insect as soon as possible. If there is no emergency room nearby, you can do it yourself. Remove the tick gently with twisting movements. In this case, you do not need to lubricate the bitten area with oil or petroleum jelly, such measures will only interfere. It is best to stock up on a special device for removing ticks, but you can unscrew the parasite with a loop from the thread or with your fingers.
The main thing is to keep the tick closer to the proboscis, do not squeeze it and do not try to tear it off, otherwise the proboscis may get stuck in the skin
It is also undesirable to use tweezers. After removing the tick, go to the laboratory of the sanitary epidemiological station and take the animal for analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, the doctor will prescribe treatment for you. Bacterial infections, including borelliasis, are treated with antibiotics. With encephalitis, the situation is more serious – you will be prescribed an injection of antiencephalitis serum, therapy will need to be carried out within 4 days after the bite.
You can become infected with encephalitis not only through a bite, unboiled milk taken from a sick animal is also contagious.
Ticks live among dense grass, shrubs, and fallen trees. Contrary to popular belief, they do not attack from trees, but from the ground, quickly climbing up the body. Therefore, when going out into nature, wear closed shoes and clothes with tight cuffs, tuck your trousers into socks, and a jacket and a T-shirt into trousers, and wear hats. Most often, ticks bite where there are folds of skin: in the neck, armpits, under the knees, as well as in the scalp. Be sure to check these places after your walk. Use protective creams and mite sprays. You can also take care of your health in advance and get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis, routine vaccination usually takes place at the beginning of winter.