What to do with a tick bite?

When sucking on the tick, the necessary consultation can always be obtained by calling 03. In order to remove a person's tick, they are mostly sent to the SES or a trauma center.

If there is no possibility to seek help from a medical institution, the tick must be removed by yourself. It should be remembered that the probability of obtaining tick-borne encephalitis, tick-borne borreliosis and other infections that are transmitted by ticks depends mainly on the amount of infection that has infiltrated the tick bite. The earlier the parasite is removed, the better.

It is best to remove the mites with curved tweezers or a surgical clamp, however, in this case, another tweezers will do. Ticks should be grasped maximally close to the proboscis, after which it should be carefully pulled, rotating in the direction of its axis in either direction. Basically, after a couple of turns, the tick is completely removed together with the proboscis. In the event that you try to pull out the tick, then there is a high probability of its rupture.

There are certain devices for extracting ticks. These devices have significant advantages over the clamp and tweezers because the mite body is not squeezed, and the contents of the mite are not squeezed into the wound, which significantly reduces the risks of infection with the infections transmitted by the mites.

Uniclean Tick Twister (UNICKLIN TEA TWISTER), which is a device for extracting ticks, has already proved itself. If there is no tweezers or a special device at hand, you can remove the tick when using a thread. Strong thread should be tied in a knot, as close to the proboscis of the tick, after which the tick is removed, while it is very slowly swinging and pulling upwards. Inadmissible are sharp movements, since in this case the mite simply simply ruptures.

Removal of the tick should be done very carefully, do not squeeze his body, since the contents of the mite can also get into the wound together with pathogens. It is also important not to tear the mite during removal - the part that remains in the skin can cause inflammation and suppuration. It should also be borne in mind that when the mite's head is torn off, the process of infection can continue because of the large number of tick-borne encephalitis viruses in the salivary glands, as well as in the parasite ducts.

If during removal of the mite its head is detached, then the suction site should be wiped with a bandage or cotton wool soaked with alcohol beforehand, and after that it is necessary to remove the head with a sterile needle.

With all this, you should not listen to anyone and use oil solutions to extract the mite. The oil can clog the respiratory holes of the parasite, and it will die right in the skin. After the removal of the mite, the skin is treated with tincture of iodine or alcohol. Application of a dressing is usually not required.

Even with a short-term tick bite, there is a risk of infection with various tick-borne infections. The tick acts as a source of numerous diseases, for this reason, after removing the tick, it must be kept for research on infection with infections. This is mainly done in an infectious diseases hospital.

The mite is placed in a small glass vessel with a piece of cotton wool, which is slightly moistened with water. It is necessary to close the vessel with a stopper or lid and store it in a cold place - it is possible in the refrigerator. To conduct a microscopic diagnosis of the tick it is necessary to deliver it alive to the laboratory. For conducting PCR diagnostics, separate parts of ticks are also used. However, the second method is not common even in large cities.

It is necessary to understand that the presence of infection in a tick does not mean that a person will necessarily fall ill. An analysis of the tick is necessary for calmness in cases of negative result and for vigilance - when obtaining a positive result.

The most accurate way to determine the presence of the disease is the surrender of blood anilysis. Blood should not be taken immediately after a tick bite - the analysis shows nothing. No sooner than ten days later, blood tests for such diseases as tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis via PCR can be performed, 2 weeks after the bite, for antibodies to the tick-borne encephalitis virus, and 1 month later for antibodies to Borrelia.