A tiny tick can cause a big health problem
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Date
2017-11
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Abstract
Ticks are tiny crawling bugs in the spider family that feed by
sucking blood from animals. They are second only to mosquitoes
as vectors of human disease, both infectious and toxic. Infected
ticks spread over a hundred diseases, some of which are fatal
if undetected. They spread the spirochete (which multiplies
in the insect’s gut) with a subsequent bite to the next host. We
describe the only reported cases of peri ocular tick bite from
India that presented to us within a span of 3 days and its
management. Due suspicion and magnification of the lesions
revealed the ticks which otherwise masqueraded as small skin
tags/moles on gross examination. The ticks were firmly latched
on to the skin and careful removal prevented incarceration of
the mouth parts. Rickettsial diseases that were believed to have
disappeared from India are reemerging and their presence has
recently been documented in at least 11 states in the country.
Among vector borne diseases, the most common, Lyme disease,
also known as the great mimicker, can present with rheumatoid
arthritis, fibromyalgia, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder, multiple sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiac
manifestations, encephalitis, and mental illness, to name some
of the many associations. Common ocular symptoms and signs
include conjunctivitis, keratitis, uveitis, and retinitis. Early
detection and treatment of tick borne diseases is important to
prevent multi system complications that can develop later in life.
Description
TNV_IJOP_2017_65(11)1228-1232
Keywords
Veterinary Science