Mites are small arachnids, most of which live in the soil and feed on decomposing organic matter, playing an important role in the formation of humus. Such ticks are not dangerous, unlike the brethren who live in the grass. There are relatively few species of infectious agents threatening humans, however, according to a medical study, every fifth mite sucking to the body is encephalitic.
Diseases from a tick bite
A bug that has absorbed into the skin can infect a person:
- tick-borne paralysis;
- tick-borne encephalitis ;
- rickettsiosis;
- spirochetosis;
- Lyme disease;
- viral fever;
- tick-borne typhus;
- tularemia.
The most dangerous disease that develops after a tick bite is encephalitis, in which the central nervous system is affected. In 2 - 20% of cases, the disease has a lethal outcome. Often the consequences after a bite of an encephalitis mite are reduced to paralysis of limbs and disability.
How does the tick work?
The season of activity of ticks is in May - September. Contrary to the stereotype, these insects do not fall on a man from trees. They crawl at the very ground along the grass and fallen branches. Mites do not see, but they have an excellent sense of smell. Sensing the victim, these animals jump on the shoes or the man's leg, and then start climbing up the clothes.
When the tick sucks in the skin, it injects an anesthetic, so the moment of the bite remains unnoticed. But while the insect crawls along the body in search of a "tasty" place of bite (armpits, stomach, inner folds of elbows and knees, behind the ears, groin), you can feel it and shake yourself off. It is impossible to shake off the clothes of the tick.
The sucking mite can drink blood more than its own weight ten times. A hungry animal has a size of about 2 - 4 mm, and a drunk blood tick increases to 1 - 2.5 cm.
First aid with a tick bite
The tick must be removed from the skin. His taurus almost completely sticks out on the surface, and only the proboscis is in the skin. You can remove the mite yourself only if you have an antiseptic on hand - the wound after the tick bite should be treated. If this remedy was not found, you should contact the nearest medical center.
There are two most effective ways of extracting the tick:
- Thread . A strong thread (or a thin string) is about 15 cm long. In the middle part of it a loop is tied, which is put on the body of the bug as close as possible to the proboscis that has bitten into the skin. After that, the ends of the thread move left-right. You can not hurry, otherwise the body of the tick will come off, and the proboscis will remain inside.
- Tweezers . Medical tweezers or eyebrow tweezers, the tick body is carefully twisted against or clockwise (in one direction!).
If the proboscis of an animal remains under the skin, the bite site is treated with alcohol, and then the "remains" of the tick are removed with a sterile needle, like a splinter.
The insect should be placed in a closed jar and taken to a Sanitary Station, where it will be determined whether the animal was an infection carrier. If so, you should immediately contact your doctor.
In addition, a visit to a doctor can not be postponed if:
- after a tick bite a lump or red spot formed;
- increased temperature;
- there was pain in the muscles, a headache;
- increased lymph nodes;
- a rash appeared on the body.
Methods of protection against ticks
- Chemical protection - various
aerosols, which process clothes and open skin surfaces before going to the forest. - Vaccination is relevant if you have to work systematically in a clump of ticks. The vaccination is done in three stages and protects only from encephalitis.
- Emergency prophylaxis - within 72 hours after the bite of the encephalitis tick make an injection of immunoglobulin, designed to "block" the virus.
Attention! Going on vacation, find out in advance where the nearest sanitary and epidemiological station is located, and bring along an antiseptic and tweezers.