Other accompanying symptoms

If fever occurs after a tick bite, this is usually a sign of an infection with Borrelia or TBE viruses. In the early phase of the disease, flu-like symptoms usually occur with headaches, joint and muscle pain as well as exhaustion and reduced performance. Locally at the bite site there is also redness, swelling, overheating and pain.

In the case of a Borrelia infection, the redness can spread in a circle in the form of wandering redness, in the middle of the circle the skin usually becomes paler again. In the course of the disease there is usually a symptom-free interval, in most of the affected persons the disease heals in this stage. Rarely does a renewed fever with signs of meningitis (in the case of TBE) or skin changes, nerve loss and pain as well as encephalitis occur afterwards.

In most cases, a tick bite is not painful, which is why it is often not noticed immediately. However, if an inflammation of the bite site occurs, it can be accompanied by redness, overheating, swelling and pain. If the fever develops after a tick bite, headaches and aching limbs are not uncommon.

Pain can also occur as a late consequence of a Borrelia or TBE infection. In Lyme disease, the nerves are attacked by the pathogens, resulting in nerve pain and nerve failure. Infection with TBE viruses can lead to meningitis with severe head and neck pain.

Headaches are a very general symptom and do not necessarily have to be related to a tick bite, even if they occur after a bite.Since tick bites are particularly frequent in the warm summer months, too little fluid intake and too much sunlight are often the cause of headaches. However, if fever and headaches (flu-like symptoms) occur a few days after the tick bite, a tick-borne infection may be the cause. In the late stages of infection with TBE or Borrelia bacteria, headaches should be considered as an inflammation of the brain (skin).

If aching limbs occur together with fever after a tick bite, the person affected should be tested for an infection with TBE and/or Borrelia bacteria. Often these tick-borne diseases are characterized by flu-like symptoms after an incubation period of about one to two weeks. These include fever, headache and aching limbs. If an infection with the pathogens is detected, a symptomatic therapy (medication against fever and pain) can be initiated in the case of TBE, and a causal therapy (antibiotics) in the case of Lyme disease.