Let’s go back. It’s June 2019: a person who reported having been bitten by a tick develops a series of neurological symptoms and signs. Today, thanks to research by experts at the Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology in Beijing published in the New England Journal of Medicine, we can give a name to the syndrome linked to that event. In fact, the cause of everything would have been a “new” virus, called Wetland.
Wetland virus characteristics, symptoms and treatments
The virus caused general symptoms, such as fever And vomiting crisisas well as a severe headache. The responsible viral strain from the orthonairovirus family is transmitted through the bite of the tick. It must be said that, as the research reports, by analyzing different types of ticks, attention on the group that could function as a possible vector has focused on the so-called “Haemaphysalis concinna”, given the presence of the virus in the animal.
This family of ticks is found mainly in China, China, Russia and Central Europeand has tested positive for the new virus in several cases. It should also be said that apart from this sort of “patient zero”, a 61-year-old man, cases of Wetland virus infection have been observed according to the research in 17 patients, from different regions of Mongolia and China.
In addition to the usual fever and to local signs, such as joint pain or spots on the skin in some cases, headache And dizziness were among the most frequently observed symptoms. The study also reports that the infection generates a robust antibody, which means that the body has a reaction to the virus, and that the general therapies based on antivirals and immunoglobulins to strengthen the immune defense have proven to be effective. There is also talk of treatments antibioticsprobably used for the control of associated bacterial infections.
Ticks and nervous system disorders
Even in our country, it must be said, these animals can represent the vector, with their bite, for various infections. And these in some cases can affect the nervous system. An example? Think about what can happen in the case of meningoencephalitis that is transmitted by the tick Ixodes ricinus. With his bite, almost always painlessthe animal can inoculate a virus into the human organism, potentially capable of giving pictures of this type.
The disease It can be confused with an out-of-season flu (slight fever, headache, muscle pain that appears one to two weeks after the bite), which is followed (if neglected or underestimated) by a second phase involving the central nervous system.
What is Lyme Disease?
Tick bites can also transmit other diseases directly through the drool of the parasite, such as the Lyme disease. Due to this condition, the areas near the Alps and those on the western side of the Apennines are especially at risk.
It is caused by a parasite called spirochete (the scientific name is borrelia burgdorferi). The pathology initially causes a redness that moves along the skin, progressively expanding, which can be associated with joint pain and some similar symptoms to the flu. After some time the infection spreads through the blood and can cause meningitis, polyneuritis (inflammation of the nervous tissue), heart rhythm disturbances with inflammation of the myocardial cellsreally blocks in the reaction of the nerves. Above all, the symptoms can reappear even after a long time, after a latency phase, in the form of chronic or intermittent arthritis.
This is why it is important to recognize the picture and implement it. early targeted antibiotic therapy.
Likewise, one must not forget the spotted feveracute infectious disease caused by a germ, the Rickettsia conoritransmitted to humans by dog tick bite. The most common symptoms resemble those of a strong flu. And they are accompanied by red spots on the arms and legs and on the trunk. Even in this case, however, treatment with antibiotics allows to address and treat the infectious problem.
What to do in case of a bite
The first recommendation is to remove the parasite within twenty-four hourstaking care to remove the entire body and rostrum of the tick and noting the date of the bite, since if any symptoms appear within a month or days of the tick being removed, it is necessary to go immediately to a doctor or in a specialist center to receive the most appropriate care for the various manifestations.
Identifying the tick early is essential, even if it is not always easy. To “attach” to the prey these enemies use special “protuberances”, called chelicerae, through which they provoke the first imperceptible “hole” on the skin. Once they come into contact with a very small blood vessel, through which the vital liquid flows, they “hang” by means of hooked beaks and then detach themselves as soon as they have finished their meal. There are two types: the “hard” ones, which have a sort of protective shield on their back in males (these are the ones that transmit meningoencephalitis), and the “soft” ones: these are more “fragile”, but can “steal” much more blood because they swell out of proportion.
