Is a tick bite dangerous? Tick ​​habitats

Any of the symptoms should alert you and oblige you to seek qualified medical help. Every disease is treatable, especially if detected at the initial stage.

How to remove a tick

Before using all tools, hands and the bite site you need an antiseptic.

When extracting, you cannot:

  • use oil and other liquids with a strong aroma;
  • apply compresses and warming ointments;
  • use fire (set fire to an insect);
  • allow sudden pulling movements;
  • pick the bite site;
  • squeeze out the tick.

Actions after removing a tick

To completely protect yourself and reassure yourself, you can donate clinical analysis blood. The study is carried out 1–2 days after the tick bite. If there is any deviation, the doctor will prescribe additional tests.

Carrying out prevention

To prevent attacks from blood-sucking pests in front of the windows of the house or on summer cottage Plants are planted that have a repellent effect on ticks. Such vegetation includes:

  • tansy;
  • lavender;
  • rosemary;
  • Dalmatian chamomile;
  • catnip.

Any visit to swampy areas, thickets of tall grass, or simply a long stay in nature should be accompanied by repellents. When going on a picnic, fishing or outing, you should wear closed clothing, and upon returning home, carefully inspect your clothes and skin.

Ticks will not cause harm if you pay attention to preventive measures and your health.

Video: Ticks on a person

Only representatives of three groups are capable of causing significant harm to a person. The danger of ticks of the ixodid and argasid groups is that they can transmit to humans incurable diseases, affecting the central nervous system. Three more species can be classified as arachnids with average degree danger. The remaining species are classified as ticks that are not dangerous to humans. But some of the latter may turn out to be garden pests.

Why are ticks dangerous for humans?

Almost all arachnids that can harm humans belong to the group, which are cosmopolitan in the field of nutrition and, in the process of development from larvae to adults, drink the blood of various animals, including humans.

On a note!

In each life cycle The tick drinks blood only once, which slightly reduces the level of danger, but does not eliminate it completely. Pathogens most dangerous infections capable of remaining in the body of an arthropod throughout its life. And also passed on to the next generation.

Ixodid species and habitats

It is not difficult to distinguish a non-dangerous tick from a dangerous ixodid tick. When we hear the word “tick,” we all imagine an ixodus, thinking little about the other body shapes of these arthropods. In a hungry state, all ixodids have an egg-shaped body with a sharp tip at the anterior end. The most dangerous representatives of this family are taiga (forest) and dog ticks. WITH last view I even met a person who had never left the city. The canine has long been a synanthropic species, breeding in the dark and damp corners of human buildings. They are the ones that hang in clusters on the summer stray dogs. But ticks hanging on animals can no longer be dangerous to people if it last stage development, and arthropods feed before laying eggs. A larva or nymph that falls off an animal becomes dangerous at the next stage of development.

The color of ixodids can be different:

  • : the male is covered with a dark brown shiny shield, the female has a gray abdomen peeking out from under the shield. Lives everywhere.
  • : a red belly peeks out from under a brown shield. Forest habitat with undergrowth.
  • : All species in this group have a white pattern on the back. Prefers herbaceous biotopes.
  • Amblyoma: White spot in the middle of the brown back, on the paws there are white stripes. Lives in tropical areas.
  • similar to a dog, but the chest is whitish in color. Lives throughout Eurasia.
  • Hialomma Brown with striped, brownish-yellow legs. Prefers deserts and semi-deserts of Central and Central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. Found in Europe.

On a note!

The Ixodid family has 650 species. It is impossible to indicate all of them. Therefore, if an arthropod similar to those shown in the photo of ticks dangerous to humans is seen on the body or clothing, you need to get rid of the “spider” urgently.

Argaceae

  • edema;
  • hyperemia;
  • skin flakes near eyelashes;
  • sticky eyelashes;
  • frequent styes.

The iron bug attacks people with weakened immune systems, so healthy image life and hygiene are sufficient preventive measures for it.

Interesting!

On a note!

Are all ticks really dangerous to humans? No. Only those described above are truly dangerous. The rest can harm or be helpers. One of the most famous pests is the red spider mite, which feeds on plant sap. Not a single gardener or florist doubts the dangers of this species of mite. But this pest is only dangerous for plants. The consequence of the attack is the death of plants if measures are not taken in a timely manner to destroy this garden pest.

But few people, except a specialist, will be able to identify the predatory and very useful harvesting tick as a tick. Most of all, the haymaker looks like a spider with long legs. It got its name from its legs. But unlike spiders, harvestmen are not poisonous mites and are not dangerous to humans.

The body of the harvester is medium-sized: 1-5 mm. The largest representative of the order, Trogulus torosus, has 22 mm. But the length of their legs makes them the largest among all ticks. Sometimes the leg length reaches 16 mm.

Most harvestmen are predators, feeding on small invertebrates. The family Ischyropsalidae specializes in terrestrial mollusks. The family Phalangiidae is omnivorous and can consume mushrooms, plant foods, feces, carrion and bird droppings.

The long-awaited spring has arrived - the time when you can again go out for walks in the forest and walk through tall grass. But be careful! Not only people love to walk there at this time of year...

Popular singer Avril Lavigne was convinced of this last year at personal experience. On her 30th birthday, instead of celebrating, she found herself bedridden due to contracting Lyme disease.

"I felt like I had trouble breathing, I couldn't speak or move," she told People magazine. "I thought I was dying." What caused such a serious illness? Lavigne reported that she had been bitten by a spring tick the day before.

However, Lyme disease (Lyme borreliosis) is not the only disease that ticks carry.

What do ticks look like?


Ticks find potential hosts by smell, body heat, moisture, vibrations and even sometimes shadows. Since ticks cannot fly or jump, they wait for hosts on the tops of grasses and branches of shrubs. When an animal or person passes nearby, ticks hold onto the grass with their hind legs and extend their front pair of legs, trying to catch on clothing, skin or fur.

When feeding, mites do not penetrate the skin. They only bite through it, remaining on the skin, but the mouthparts tightly attach the tick to the skin, and it can be difficult to remove. When a tick bites through the skin, it secretes a special anesthetic substance, so a person does not feel the moment of the bite, but later the local inflammation of the bite area can become painful and therefore noticeable.

After suction, the tick begins to feed. It takes one to two weeks for the ixodid tick to become fully saturated. If the tick is not pulled out, it will, having eaten, fall off on its own after this period, and begin the next part of its life cycle.

Although tick bites can cause minor discomfort, the main danger comes not from the tick itself, but from pathogenic microorganisms(bacterial and viral) that the tick carries. During its life, a tick bites many animals, birds and, sometimes, people - and therefore is capable of transmitting some infections between its owners.

Lyme disease

Lyme disease is bacterial infection, manifested by severe weakness, fever, headache and skin rash(these symptoms are common to many other tick-borne diseases). Without treatment, Lyme disease can spread throughout the body, affecting the heart, joints and nervous system.


The causative agent of Lyme disease is susceptible to antibacterial drugs, such as doxycycline or amoxicillin, so after a tick bite these drugs are often prescribed for preventive purposes. If antibiotic prophylaxis was not prescribed, and the bitten person became infected with Borrelia, a few weeks later Lyme borreliosis develops from the bite, and then the same antibiotics are required for treatment, but in much higher and longer doses.

The likelihood of contracting borreliosis from a tick depends on many factors, such as the age of the tick and the duration of suction. Ticks become infected with Borrelia from mice, and only then can they transmit them to humans, so small (young) ticks are usually not carriers.

The disease was first discovered in residents of the small town of Lyme, Connecticut, USA in 1975, hence its name. Today it is known that this disease is widespread both in the United States and in Europe and Russia.

Other diseases transmitted by ticks

Other diseases transmitted by this type of tick include tick-borne encephalitis, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and babesiosis (pyroplasmosis), the latter not dangerous to humans - but deadly to dogs. There is also evidence that tularemia can be transmitted through tick bites.

With the onset of warmer weather, few people deprive themselves of the pleasure of going out for a picnic in the nearest forest park or going with their family to the dacha. In nature, a person is relaxed and forgets that he is in the native element of numerous representatives of the fauna world, who are not always friendly. If mosquito bites and annoying flies are completely harmless, then an encounter with ticks can end in disaster. How ticks are dangerous to humans, and what consequences a bite from these arachnids can have, is discussed in this article.

The danger of ixodid ticks

The tick is a synatropic organism, ubiquitous in forest and steppe areas. For some species of arachnids, soil has become their native habitat, which also serves as a source of nutrition, since the diet includes decay products organic matter. Such mites are useful: they are active participants in soil-forming processes - the decomposition and humification of dead biota. A person should be wary of ixodid arthropods, whose home is grass or piles of fallen leaves, and whose favorite dish is blood.

A tick bite ceases to be a harmless injury to the skin if a person who likes to profit from someone else's blood turns out to be a carrier of pathogenic microorganisms - viruses and bacteria. The danger of ticks lies in the risk of contracting serious viral infections - tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. All 79 constituent entities of the Russian Federation provided Rospotrebnadzor with data for the 2016 infectious season: the number of survivors of tick attacks and those who sought medical help is about 31,500 people, 9,200 of whom are children.

Tick ​​attack: behavioral features

Ticks prefer to live in damp environments, so undergrowth, ravines, willow thickets, and the banks of a stream are the most likely places to encounter them.

The bloodsucker's lack of vision compensates for its excellent sense of smell plus the presence of tenacious limbs. The animal is able to smell the scent of a victim long before its appearance, so it is in full combat readiness mode when a person is close. A jump is enough to end up on clothes or shoes. Then the arachnid quickly climbs up, choosing the most vulnerabilities, where capillaries are visible through thin skin - the area of ​​the armpits, inner elbow and knee bends, the area behind ears, groin area.

The threat is posed by the bite of a mature individual; there is no need to be afraid of larvae and nymphs.

VIDEO: This will save your life. 10 important facts from the life of ticks

Mechanism of infection by acute viral infections

The result of a tick attack is the risk of developing:

  • tick paralysis;
  • encephalitis;
  • Lyme disease - borreliosis;
  • tularemia;
  • hemorrhagic fever;
  • spirochetosis;
  • rickettsiosis;
  • typhus, typhoid fever.

It is infection with tick-borne encephalitis that can cause disability or death. In addition to humans, the bloodsucker’s food source is also animals, mainly forest rodents - natural reservoirs terrible virus. After drinking infected blood, the tick becomes encephalitic.

The main task is to extract the arthropod unharmed: by depriving it of its head and leaving part of the body inside, the atogenic concentration can be even higher, since the entire volume of poison that the bloodsucker’s body contains will enter the blood.

Lack of confidence in the effectiveness of independent manipulations should be a reason to go to the nearest emergency room. Doctors are guaranteed to carry out the procedure competently. Situations are different, people tend to relax far from the benefits of civilization, therefore medical institution may not be nearby. We'll have to make do on our own and improvised means.

How to remove a tick yourself

You can find a special tick gun on sale. It costs from 100 to 300 rubles. and very easy to use. Pry the tick as if with a fork and carefully twist it out. In this case, it is impossible to crush it or tear off the head.

Often, adults remove ticks on their own, without particularly worrying that they may be a source of disease. What signs directly indicate contact with an infected Sinatrope:

  • thickening of the skin, formation of lumps;
  • the appearance of a spot of intense red hue;
  • temperature increase;
  • enlarged lymph nodes;
  • skin rashes.

A reddened bite area is normal. warning sign- an increase in the size of the spot, the appearance of new erythemas. There is no point in immediately doing a test that reveals encephalitis or borreliosis. A certain period of time must pass for microscopy to show the presence or absence of infection.

The month following the bite will be decisive, so it is important to monitor the condition of the victim’s body; any changes in well-being are a reason to consult a doctor.

VIDEO: What to do and how to prevent an attack

Acute viral infections

Encephalitis is distinguished by sharply manifested symptoms and rapidly progressive development of the pathological process.

Warning signs appear:

  • temperature increase to 40°C;
  • sudden convulsions (most often at night);
  • muscle spasms, paralysis of limbs;
  • severe migraine;
  • nausea, vomiting.

Strong headache caused by infection entering the brain cells along with the bloodstream. The patient experiences increased arousal, lack of sleep, and spatial-temporal connections are gradually lost. The disease affects the central nervous system. The result of disorders of the spinal cord and brain can be partial or complete paralysis, loss of speech, and disruption of thought processes. Lack of timely medical care is the cause of a chronic, sluggish form of the disease, which can be fatal.

Both diseases require immediate hospitalization, treatment is carried out under the constant supervision of doctors.

Features of infection: incubation period

In addition to the above symptoms, a sure sign developing disease Lyme are redness of the skin. It is normal to have some erythema because allergic reaction- this is a reasonable response of the immune system, which has identified a foreign protein as a threat to the body. The stain may last a couple of days. The cause of suppuration of the bite site is an insufficiently treated wound. The doctor will give you the exact answer.

Time frame for diagnosing acute viral infections:

  1. Blood testing using the polymerase method chain reaction(PCR), detecting the presence/absence of the virus tick-borne encephalitis, borreliosis is carried out after 10 days.
  2. Carrying out a blood test showing the presence/absence of antibodies to the causative agent of encephalitis is advisable after two weeks, antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi - after a month.

At negative results analyzes for the indicated periods, one can finally calm down: the danger has passed.

Vaccinations: a panacea or a waste of money

Vaccination is real effective method protect yourself from defeat viral infection, but only if the scheme is followed. One injection is not enough to create lasting immunity. Two are enough to protect yourself for only one season. And only with three doses of the drug will a person be freed from the risk of encephalitis for 3 years.

Vaccination is recommended for those people who, due to their occupation, spend a lot of time in the forest or field, as well as ordinary citizens. Living near forest plantations. In regions with a high epidemiological threshold (Siberia, the Urals), vaccinations are recommended for everyone. In other cities and districts - upon request.

Like most vaccines, the encephalitis tick made on the basis of a dead virus that “runs” in safe mode immune system human for the production of antibodies. When a live virus appears (from an insect bite), antibodies instantly block the threat.

With this schedule, protection is provided for 3 years, after which revaccination is necessary.

Lifelong immunity against encephalitis ticks cannot be acquired.

What vaccines are allowed for use?

On the territory of the Russian Federation, the following drugs are certified and approved for use in agreement with a virologist or therapist:

  • Encevir;
  • Encepur;
  • FSME Immun;
  • purified vaccine against tick-borne encephalitis.

Knowing how dangerous ticks are to humans, it is equally important to understand how to protect yourself from a bloodsucker attack. Since it is easy to bring an arthropod home with you, thereby creating for it comfortable conditions existence for several weeks in advance, it is important to carefully shake out all items of clothing upon returning from the dacha or from the forest. Seams, pockets, folds, decorative inserts require particularly careful inspection. Additional washing of things will eliminate the risk of being bitten in your own home.

You can avoid trouble by following simple rules. When planning a vacation outside the city you need to:

When choosing a tick repellent, pay attention to its composition. One of the main ones should be diethyltoluamide, thanks to which insects do not even come close to humans, while it is absolutely safe for the person himself.

Among these drugs:

  • Off!;
  • Extreme;
  • Reftamide Maximum;
  • Gardex extreme;
  • Data.

For children over 3 years old, you can choose one of the following options:

  • Off! Extreme;
  • Mosquito-anti-mite;
  • Defi-Taiga.

The drugs are not applied to the skin, but if the risk of damage is enormous, the skin can be treated for a short time. Afterwards, be sure to wash it off warm water with soap.

VIDEO: Why ticks are dangerous to humans

The tick (lat. Acari) is one of the oldest inhabitants inhabiting our planet. Contrary to erroneous opinion, ticks are not insects, but are representatives of the arachnid order.

Description of ticks. What does a tick look like?

These representatives of arthropods rarely reach 3 mm in size; the size of mites generally ranges from 0.1 to 0.5 mm. As befits arachnids, ticks lack wings. Adult ticks have 4 pairs of legs, and specimens that have not reached sexual maturity have three pairs of legs. Having no eyes, ticks navigate in space using a well-developed sensory apparatus, thanks to which they can smell the victim 10 meters away. According to the structure of the body, all types of ticks can be divided into leathery ones, with fused head and chest, and hard (armored) ones, in which the head is movably attached to the body. The supply of oxygen also depends on the structure of the body: the former breathe through the skin or trachea, while armored animals have special spiracles.

What do ticks eat?

According to their feeding method, ticks are divided into:

Predatory blood-sucking ticks wait for their prey, lying in ambush on blades of grass, twigs and sticks. Using paws equipped with claws and suction cups, they attach to it, after which they move to the feeding site (groin, neck or head area, armpits). Moreover, the victim of a tick can be not only a person, but also other herbivorous ticks or thrips.

A tick bite can be very dangerous, since ticks are carriers of diseases, including encephalitis. Ticks can survive without food for up to 3 years, but at the slightest opportunity they show miracles of gluttony and can increase in weight up to 120 times.

Types of ticks. Classification of ticks.

There are more than 40,000 species of ticks, which scientists have divided into 2 main superorders:

Description of the main types of ticks:

. It is absolutely harmless to birds, animals and humans, since it is a complete “vegetarian” and feeds on plant juices, settling on the bottom of the leaf and sucking the juices out of it. It is a carrier of gray rot, which is destructive for plants.

It feeds on its relatives, so sometimes it is specially introduced by humans into greenhouses and hothouse farms to combat spider mites.

Granary (flour, bread) mite. For humans, in principle, it is safe, but for grain or flour stocks it is a serious pest: the products become clogged with waste from the flour mite, which leads to its rotting and mold formation.

lives in the southern part of Russia, Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia, the mountains of Central Asia, and the south of Western Siberia. Mainly settles in forest-steppes or forests. Dangerous for animals and humans, it can be a carrier of encephalitis, plague, brucellosis, and fever.

harmless to humans, but dangerous to dogs. Lives everywhere. Particularly active in coastal areas and on Black Sea coast.

Where do ticks live?

Ticks live in every climate zone and on every continent. Due to the fact that ticks prefer damp places, their habitats are forest ravines, undergrowth, thickets near the banks of streams, flooded meadows, overgrown paths, animal fur, dark warehouses with agricultural products, etc. Selected species adapted for life in seas and reservoirs with fresh water. Some mites live in houses and apartments, for example, house mites, dust mites, and flour mites.

Spread of ticks.

How long does a tick live?

The lifespan of a tick depends on the species. For example, ticks house dust or dust mites live 65-80 days. Other species, such as the taiga tick, live up to 4 years. Without food, ticks can live from 1 month to 3 years.

Reproduction of ticks. Stages (cycle) of tick development.

Most ticks are oviparous, although viviparous species are also found. Like all arachnids, mites have a clear division into females and males. The most interesting life cycle is observed in blood-sucking species. The following stages of tick development are distinguished:

  • Larva
  • Nymph
  • Adult

Tick ​​eggs.

At the end of spring or beginning of summer, the female tick, having had enough of blood, lays a clutch of 2.5-3 thousand eggs. What do tick eggs look like? The egg is a fairly large cell relative to the size of the female, consisting of cytoplasm and a nucleus, and covered with a two-layer shell, which is painted in a variety of colors. Tick ​​eggs can have completely different shapes- from round or oval, to flattened and elongated.

What do tick eggs look like?