Symptoms
A tick bite usually goes unnoticed at the beginning and is more likely to be noticed by chance or by a targeted search. However, local irritations such as itching, overheating, swelling and redness can occur at the site of the tick bite. Certain symptoms should be seen as a warning and clarified by a doctor, as they can be signs of illness: The redness spreads further to all sides in the course of a few days.
A red seam forms at the edges of the redness, while the skin in the middle tends to pale again. This skin rash after a tick bite is also called migrant redness or erythema migrans. It leads to flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle and limb pain, which cannot be attributed to any other cause.
There are joint complaints, conjunctivitis, muscle pain or neck pain that did not exist before. and fever after a tick bite
- The redness spreads further to all sides in the course of a few days. A red seam forms at the edges of the redness, while the skin in the middle of the area tends to pale again.This skin rash after a tick bite is also called migrant redness or erythema migrans.
- It leads to flu-like symptoms such as fever, fatigue, muscle and limb pain that cannot be attributed to any other cause.
- There are joint problems, conjunctivitis, muscle pain or neck pain that did not exist before.
Possible secondary diseases
TBE is caused by a virus that can be transmitted to humans by tick bites. Risk areas in Germany are mainly Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, parts of Hesse, Thuringia and Rhineland-Palatinate from June to October. The infection can occur 3-28 days after a tick bite.
In the majority of up to 70% of affected persons the disease goes unnoticed. In about 30% of infected persons, flu-like symptoms occur after 7-20 days, which can turn into encephalitis or meningitis after a fever-free interval or a short recovery. This can manifest itself with high fever, severe headaches, vomiting or pain in the neck.
Both diseases can also exist at the same time. In the course of the disease, consciousness and speech disorders, paralysis and cramps can occur, depending on which area of the brain is affected. TBE is detected by means of a blood or brain water test, where increased antibodies against the virus are found.
The disease must be treated in hospital, whereby therapy is carried out on a symptom-related basis; there is no medication against the virus itself. After appropriate treatment and even after severe courses of the disease, the disease heals in many cases without any consequences. However, it is possible that residual symptoms remain and manifest themselves, for example, in the form of epilepsy.
TBE should not be confused with neuroborreliosis. What can be the consequences of a tick bite?
- Early summer meningoencephalitis (FSME)
Vaccination against the TBE virus is possible and is recommended for people who either live or work in a risk area or who may come into contact with it through travel.
The vaccination is administered according to a tested scheme: initial vaccination 3 times within one year, then booster every 3-5 years. In rare cases, transmission of the TBE virus is reported after consumption of raw milk by infected cows, sheep or goats in risk areas. The pathogens of this disease are also transmitted to humans by tick bites, in this case bacteria of the Borrelia group.
Lyme disease occurs not only in the whole of Germany, but also throughout Europe. After an infection it can take weeks to months until the first symptoms become noticeable. This can lead to a further spreading painless reddening around the injection site, which becomes pale again in the middle (wandering redness).
Flu-like symptoms such as fever, muscle and headaches without lung involvement are also possible. In addition, there may be paralysis of the facial muscles, numbness, flaccid paralysis of the arms or legs, pain symptoms (including joint pain) or inflammation of the heart muscle. Even years after an infection, the first signs of joint pain, discomfort or skin symptoms can occur.
These skin symptoms manifest themselves in a bluish-red discoloration of the skin, which can occur mainly on the inner sides of the arms and legs, but also on the nose, fingers and toes.
- Lyme disease
The diagnosis of Lyme disease is made by a combination of physical examination or description of the existing symptoms and the result of laboratory tests. This is not always easy as the symptoms can also occur with other diseases, do not build up on each other and sometimes only appear years after a tick bite.
A laboratory examination cannot prove a disease beyond doubt. The blood is tested for the presence of antibodies against Borrelia bacteria, thus the contact with the bacterium can be proven. A positive result is also shown by many people who carry these antibodies in themselves without being ill with borreliosis.
On the other hand, the absence of antibodies almost rules out Lyme disease, unless the blood sample was only taken shortly after the tick bite, because the body needs time to produce antibodies.For the diagnosis it is therefore important that the laboratory result and the existing symptoms fit to Lyme disease and that follow-up examinations are carried out to increase the certainty of the diagnosis or not to miss a beginning of the disease. At the same time other possible diseases should be considered and excluded. If Lyme disease is diagnosed, the therapy is carried out with antibiotics.
If there is an acute suspicion due to the physical symptoms without confirmation of elevated antibodies against Lyme disease, antibiotic therapy is started as a precautionary measure. There is currently no vaccination against borreliosis. There are a number of other diseases that can be transmitted to humans by tick bites, for example rickettsiosis, babesiosis or anaplasmosis. However, as these occur very rarely or do not occur in Germany, they are not listed here.
