A walk through woods and hills, in mountainous areas below 1,500 meters but also in public parks in cities like Rome: it takes very little to be stung by a tick. The bite of this parasite, which feeds on the blood of humans and animals, in itself is not a problem but it is dangerous because it can carry other bacterial diseases (such as Borrelia, or Lyme disease, from the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi) about virala (such as Tbe, tick-borne encephalitis). Precisely for this reason, after an excursion in the middle of the meadows, in the endemic areas, it is important to immediately recognize the presence of ticks, especially carefully examining the body of children and, if necessary, remove it in the right way – so that no part remains inside. internal – and keep alert if, in the following weeks, symptoms appear that may suggest Borrelia, or Lyme disease. This is what is reported in an article published in ‘Allies for Health’, the portal dedicated to medical-scientific information created by Novartis.
Between infectious diseases carried by ticks – we read in the article – which have an epidemiological relevance in Italy we find: tick-borne encephalitis or Tbe (mainly transmitted by the wood tick), Lyme disease (mainly transmitted by the wood tick), rickettsiosis (mainly transmitted tick), tick-borne relapsing fever, tularemia, tick-borne meningoencephalitis and ehrlichiosis. The diagnosis of most of these diseases is made on a clinical basis, but antibiotic therapy, in the initial stages, is almost always decisive for bacterial forms. Only rarely (up to 5% of cases) and in elderly people or children can these infections be life-threatening.
The European Agency for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) reports an increase in the spread of this parasite across Europe. The presence of ticks also in urban environments, a phenomenon recently recorded and which explains the reason for greater attention to the problem, seems to be due to climate change, in particular to the anomalous and anticipated heat. In fact, ticks tend to be more active when temperatures risea period that coincides with that in which people also move more frequently in places rich in vegetation or with animals, such as meadows, pastures, woods and stables.
Contrary to popular belief, ticks are not insects, but arthropods, that is, from the family of spiders, mites and scorpions. These external parasites, up to one centimeter in size, have a rounded body. The head, indistinguishable from the body, has a buccal apparatus (rostrum) capable of penetrating the skin and sucking the blood of the hosts. The sting is generally painless because the ticks inoculate the host with a certain amount of saliva that contains anesthetic principles. They generally remain attached to the host for 2-7 days and then drop spontaneously.
To significantly reduce the chance of being bitten by ticks, or at least to spot them quickly, before they can transmit a disease is helpful. wear clear clothesi (because a tick is easier to see), cover the endsespecially lower, with light stockings (better boots), use long trousers and a hat, avoid rubbing the grass along the edge of the paths, avoid entering where the grass is high, make a careful examination at the end of the excursion visual and tactile of your skin, your clothes and remove any ticks that may be present. Ticks tend to be localized preferably on the head, neck, behind the knees, on the hips.
If you have pets, such as dogs, it is good to use on them special products against ticks, especially close to an excursion, check, shake and possibly brush the clothes before taking them inside the houses to then wash them, use repellents: on the market there are products to keep insects away that are also effective against ticks. It is a question of checking on the label if the product contains Deet or N-diethyltoluamide and Icaridin or Kbr3023.
When a tick is found on the skin – reports the article – it must be removed promptly because the probability of contracting an infection is directly proportional to the duration of the parasite’s stay on the host. But be careful how to proceed. Never use alcohol, petrol, acetone, trichlorethylene, ammonia, oil or fat, or red-hot objects, matches or cigarettes to avoid that the induced suffering can cause the regurgitation of infected material and further sinking of the parasite into the host’s skin. To detach the tick from the skin it is necessary, instead, to grasp it with fine-tipped tweezers, as close as possible to the surface of the skin, and remove it by pulling gently trying to give it a slight rotation movement. Currently, specific extractors can be found on the market.
It’s important avoid touching the tick with your bare hands in an attempt to remove it: hands, on the other hand, must be protected (with gloves) and then washed. After removal, the area must be disinfected, avoiding the use of disinfectants that color the skin, such as iodine tincture. If the rostrum remains within the skin, it must be extracted with a sterile needle or suitably sterilized fine-tipped tweezers and tetanus prophylaxis performed. If you notice a reddish halo that tends to widen or fever, headache, weakness, pain in the joints, swollen lymph nodes, it is advisable to seek medical attention.
During the observation period, the administration of antibiotics is not recommended because it can mask any signs of disease and make diagnosis more complicated. In the event that, for other reasons, it is necessary to start an antibiotic treatment, it is advisable to use drugs that have been demonstrated to be effective in both the treatment of rickettsiosis and borreliosis. In any case, the doctor will be able to indicate the most useful treatment. The complete article is available on: https://www.alleatiperlasalute.it/whatsapp-con-il-medico/puntura-di-zecca-quali-rischi-e-come-difendersi-da-questi-parassiti.