At the end of August 2015, in the Urals, we held the Renaissance Path marathon from a series of Tracers “A → B” events. We prepared a 10 km route through the forest, gorges and rocks, clearing somewhere, and somewhere on the contrary creating obstacles in the way of future participants. On the day of the marathon, it rained, but everyone successfully reached the finish line, many even overcame the water stage in icy water.

In this article I would like to talk about what is especially often awaiting us in the forests of the Urals, Siberia, Karelia, etc. These are ticks. In September, after preparation and participation in the marathon, I returned to Moscow and found a tick on myself, presumably brought from the Urals. In this article I would like to share the knowledge gained since that time, as well as share my personal experience. This article is for guidance only, providing introductory information only.

SEASONALITY

Ticks are active from April to late autumn. Since July, activity has been declining, but in September and even October there is a chance of encountering a tick. It all depends on the terrain and climatic features of a particular year.

danger area

Areas where infected ticks are common are called endemic.
Earlier, in the days of the USSR, children's camps, recreation centers and the vicinity of cities were sprayed with anti-mite compounds. Now this practice is forgotten and even some areas of Moscow and the region are recognized as endemic. Ticks can also be found in parks.
But, nevertheless, the most dangerous in terms of infection are still areas that are favorable for the environment mites. These areas are shown on the map below.

The most dangerous areas for the spread of infected ticks
(meeting with a tick is possible in other areas as well)

mite species

The larva and nymph are not dangerous. Dangerous only adult male and female ticks (shown in photo).

DISEASES
Viruses in danger right (for Russia):

1) Encephalitis
It affects the central nervous system.
Tick-borne encephalitis begins suddenly, after 1-30 days from a tick bite, with chills, a rapid increase in body temperature to 38-39 ° C, severe headache, pain throughout the body, weakness, weakness, nausea. The patient's face and eyes turn red. From 3-5 days of illness, signs of damage to the nervous system appear: convulsions, delirium, impaired movement.
A patient with tick-borne encephalitis should be immediately admitted to an infectious diseases hospital, where he will receive intensive treatment.

2) Borelliasis
From the bite to the onset of the first symptoms, it takes from 2 to 30 days, on average - 2 weeks. A characteristic sign of the onset of the disease in 70% of cases is redness of the skin at the site of the bite. The red spot gradually increases, reaching 1-10 cm in diameter, sometimes up to 60 cm or more. The shape of the spot is round or oval, rarely irregular. The outer edge of the inflamed skin is more red, slightly rises above the skin level. Over time, the central part of the spot turns pale or acquires a bluish tint, a ring shape is created. At the site of the tick bite, in the center of the spot, you can first see a crust, then the wound is scarred. The stain lasts 2-3 weeks without treatment, then disappears. After 1-1,5 months, signs of damage to the nervous system, heart or joints develop.

Erythema after a tick bite - borreliosis vector (photo from the Internet)

Attention! Symptoms vary from case to case and in the case of Lyme disease, or mixed infections can sometimes overtake infected years later. Therefore, be careful and try to bite after bite of a tick check for the presence of infection in it.

3) The rest of the infections
Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasma, babesiosis, and others.
Often encountered in conjunction with borreliosis or encephalitis. Often referred to as a mixed infection.
Many have similar symptoms, but still less dangerous encephalitis and borreliosis.

Ways for invasion
- infected tick bite
- eating raw milk or uncooked meat from sick animals
- infection of the child in utero from the mother (not accepted by medicine in all countries, but such cases have been identified)
- infection through sexual contact (not accepted by medicine in all countries, but such cases have been identified)

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

- Vaccination against encephalitis! There is no such disease from borreliosis. When choosing a vaccination, familiarize yourself with the available drugs, domestic and foreign production. And make a choice.
- Clothing that will protect you from insect penetration to the skin, especially the legs and groin area (see detailed tips in the relevant materials on the Internet).
- Anti-mite sprays and other chemical agents (which exist - see the Internet).
- Inspections of each other on halts during a hike, or upon returning from a walk in the forest in order to identify whether there is a tick sucked on the skin.
- Thorough frying of meat, boiling milk. Especially when buying raw food from households, especially in the mentioned regions where ticks are spread.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF BITTEN BY A TICK

1. If the tick is still in the skin, it is necessary to remove it without squeezing its body so as not to squeeze out its contents along with the virus that it may be carrying. To do this, use a thread, or better, a special uncomplicated device that you can carry with you on hikes (see information on the Internet).
2. Monitor changes in the state of the bitten, if you decide to continue the hike without going to honey. institutions.
3. Tick ​​is best to pass on anliz to understand is infected or not.
4. If it was not possible to pass the tick for analysis, then the person must be tested for encephalitis, borreliosis and mixed infections. Borreliosis should be tested using different methods (ELISA, Immuno-chip, PCR and, if additional ones are available, then theirs) for different types of borrelia Borreliosis tests often give a false negative result. Therefore, it is very important to monitor your condition and respond to abnormal manifestations in the body.

PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

In September, I returned to Moscow and found an ixodid tick on myself, presumably brought from the Urals. I had a stinging sensation on the buttock and after scratching I noticed that I had brushed off the tick. Unknowingly, I made a mistake and did not save the tick for analysis. At the site of the bite, on the butt, I got a red spot. A few days later, the spot became erythema with a white halo ring. After a couple of weeks, I started to have symptoms: an unusual weakness in which the body weakened for periods of 20 minutes, this happened every half hour. Dizziness, slight fever, joint pain, flu-like condition, as at the onset of the disease, itching at the site of the bite, hardening and scar at the site of the bite.

For about a week I experienced these symptoms, then I turned to the Research Institute of Rheumatology in Moscow, to Doctor Ushakova. She said that I had a characteristic erythema, which is an indication of borreliosis and prescribed antibiotics. I took a month's course of doxycycline (I drank Unidox Solutab). We had just arrived at the shooting of the Tracer Hotel and, being on the shooting of the frame on the roof opposite the House of Urban Institutions, I thought that all the work would have to be done in this semi-switched off state, but after the first days of taking antibiotics, the symptoms went away.

I can tell about the further development of history to those who are interested and need it. You can leave a request in the comments to this article. I will only note that it is important to start treatment as early as possible. Because if borreliosis and, moreover, encephalitis are not detected immediately, or not noticed that there was a tick bite, then you can get irreversible consequences. Borreliosis is a well-known "chameleon", taking on the form of completely different diseases in symptomatology, from VSD and other disorders in the functioning of the nervous system, arthritis, skin diseases to hypertension, etc. Therefore, it is not uncommon for doctors to diagnose and incorrectly treat diseases without knowing that the cause of the disease was borreliosis.

CONCLUSION

Encephalitis obtained from a tick bite can lead to extremely serious consequences through damage to the central nervous system, creating severe disorders of the musculoskeletal system and the work of the brain. Borreliosis also attacks the nervous system, as well as joints and internal organs. The manifestations of Borreliosis, in contrast to encephalitis, are often prolonged in time and may not appear for a long time. Both infections seriously disrupt the quality of life, encephalitis often makes a person disabled, borreliosis is less common. So you should be careful about ticks and start with an encephalitis vaccine if you are going to be in endemic areas.

I wish everyone more time in nature and be attentive!