Dear summer residents, even if it’s still quite cool, the snow has melted and the ticks have woken up. It is necessary not to forget about this, to protect and inspect yourself, and to protect your dogs with special means. When bitten by ticks with their saliva, the infection enters the bloodstream. Ticks can infect with two dangerous diseases - encephalitis and borreliosis (Lyme disease).

Borreliosis or Lyme disease

Borreliosis or Lyme disease affects the joints, skin, heart muscle, after ingestion of the Borrelia bacteria. Causes a delayed immune response with a cascade of autoimmune reactions. In the first seconds, bacteria are attacked by the human immune system, so they quickly "leave" where the activity of immunity is not so high: tendons, heart, nerve tissues. Because of this, borreliosis, unlike encephalitis, often lacks an acute stage. The disease quickly becomes chronic. The main distinguishing feature is erythema migrans annulare. This is a bright red spot at the site of the bite, which gradually increases, forming rings.

borreliosis usually proceeds in three stages and has the following symptoms:

1. General infectious stage (lasts 4-5 weeks):
- general malaise;
- increase in body temperature;
- muscle pain;
- stiffness of the neck muscles;
- the appearance and gradual increase in the size of reddening of the annular shape around the bite;
- conjunctivitis;
- rash on the face, urticaria;
- pain in the liver, etc.
2. Stage of neurological and cardiac complications (lasts up to the 22nd week):
- serous meningitis;
- neuritis of the cranial nerves;
- radiculoneuritis;
- myocarditis;
- pericarditis;
- various disorders of cardiac activity, etc.
3. Stage of articular, skin and other inflammatory disorders (six months later):
- inflammation of the joints;
- inflammation of the lymph nodes;
- atrophic acrodermatitis;
- focal scleroderma, etc.

Encephalitis

Encephalitis is a rare but life-threatening disease characterized by inflammation of the brain. The defeat can be toxic, allergic, infectious, mixed. There are two main types of manifestation of the disease: independent, as a complication.

Primary encephalitis is formed when the virus enters the brain. Secondary - with damage to another organ, as a complication of the underlying pathology.

Cause, mechanism of disease development

The causative agents of encephalitis are various viruses.
Among the mechanisms of infection are: airborne, alimentary, transmissible.
Pathogens, penetrating into the blood, pass through the BBB, enter the nervous system. First, the pathogen is located on the surface of the cells, then it multiplies in them, enters the bloodstream, where it reacts with the body's immunity. Violations of immunity lead to an increase in the permeability of the BBB, viruses are in the central nervous system. Leaving the nerve cell, the virus destroys it, necrosis zones are formed. In response, autoantibodies are formed that contribute to damage to the oligodendroglia and lead to demyelination.

Risk factors:

1. Senile age.
2. Age up to one year.
3. Weak immune system.
4. Living in endemic areas where a large number of carriers of pathogens live.

Classification

One of the primary encephalitis - Tick-borne encephalitis

The causative agent is a virus transmitted through ixodid ticks. The virus enters the body with food or through the blood. With food infection, the latent stage lasts 5-8 days, with a tick bite - 4-40 days.

Histological examination reveals reddening of the membranes, gliosis, and accumulation of cellular elements. Degenerate, inflame the nerve elements in the cortical, nuclear formations.

Clinical symptoms:

• fever 40 degrees
• head
• muscle pain
• lost consciousness
• nausea.

Diagnostics: profession, nutrition, presence of a bite, location in the area of ​​the spread of the disease, the presence of a viral infection in the internal environment of the body, leukocytosis typical of inflammation, an increase in ESR in the general analysis.

The differential diagnosis includes such diseases as typhus, poliomyelitis, meningitis.

Epidemic encephalitis Economo

This is a rare, low-contagious disease with an unknown pathogen. In the disease, 2 phases are distinguished - acute, chronic.
Ekonomo's encephalitis is manifested by a two-week fever up to 40 degrees, headache, general weakness, and intoxication. The features of the course include pathological drowsiness, damage to the optic nerves, hallucinations, increased muscle tone.
The duration of the acute phase from a week to 5 months may end with the disappearance of clinical manifestations.
If the chronic phase develops, symptoms such as insomnia, eye ptosis, and depression persist. The clinically chronic phase includes parkinsonism with hormonal changes, diabetes, malnutrition or weight gain, and ovarian-menstrual cycle disorder.
Diagnosis of the acute phase is complicated, since there are only sleep changes, psychosensory changes, and fever.
The diagnosis of the chronic phase includes the identification of hormonal disruptions, mental disorders, parkinsonism.

Japanese encephalitis

The causative agent is a virus carried by mosquitoes. The latent period lasts 6-15 days. The disease starts abruptly, manifested by fever up to 40, severe headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The symptoms of Japanese encephalitis also include redness of the face, dry tongue, heart rate disorder.
According to the predominance of syndromes of damage, Japanese encephalitis is classified into meningeal, convulsive, bulbar, hyperkinetic, hemiparetic.
The disease is severe. The symptoms worsen in the first few days, and the fever persists for two weeks. The outcome of the disease is mostly lethal.
Diagnosis: stay in the focus of infection, seasonality, the presence of specific immune reactions in the blood.

Herpetic encephalitis

This is a complication of a herpes infection, the causative agent is the herpes simplex virus. Children get sick more often. The infection is transmitted by drop or contact. The virus passes into the central nervous system through the trunks or through the blood.
Clinical picture: fever up to 40, convulsive syndrome of the Jacksonian type, impaired consciousness. Also, the symptoms include paresis of the oculomotor nerves, aphasia.
Diagnosis is possible by analysis of blood, cerebrospinal fluid.

Secondary encephalitis- these are complications from other diseases: influenza, an infectious-allergic disease, chickenpox, rubella, toxoplasma, as well as after vaccination with DTP, against measles, anti-rabies vaccines

Diagnosis of encephalitis

Diagnostic methods include not only blood tests, cerebrospinal fluid, the following examinations:
1. Brain scan with CT or MRI. This is a method for detecting changes in the structure of the brain. It can rule out other possible causes of symptoms, such as a tumor or stroke.
2. Electroencephalograph. Tracks the electrical activity of the brain, shows acute abnormal waves in patients with encephalitis.
3. Biopsy.

It is done extremely rarely, as it has a risk of complications. The reason is the ineffectiveness of the treatment.

When to seek medical help?

A doctor should be called when the headache does not go away after taking an analgesic or if an adult experiences a fever above forty degrees, notes nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, tension in the occipital muscles, convulsions.

Complications:

Memory loss;
behavioral changes;
epilepsy;
paresis, paralysis;
vision loss;
hearing problems;
aphasia;
coma.

Treatment

Etiological therapy will depend on the causes:

1. If encephalitis is bacterial, then this is treatment with bactericidal or bacteriostatic antibiotics.
2. Antiviral therapy for viral encephalitis: acyclovir, foscarnet, ribavirin.

Symptomatic therapy:

1. To reduce inflammation, cerebral edema, glucocorticosteroids (prednisolone, dexamethasone) are used.
2. For the treatment of convulsions, seizures, anticonvulsants are used, such as phenytoin, dilantin.
3. To stop the fever, antipyretics (paracetamol) are used.

Patients with encephalitis must be constantly, carefully monitored, as symptoms can change rapidly.

Forecast

The symptoms of encephalitis last for several weeks.

The prognosis depends on the type of encephalitis. Tick ​​- does not leave residual neurological problems. But secondary encephalitis in most cases leads either to death or to permanent neurological consequences.

Prevention for man

The main preventive measures include: the timely use of vaccines according to the vaccination schedule in epidemic zones, timely diagnosis, and the correct treatment of infectious diseases.

Since the disease is transmitted by contact, an effective method of prevention will be to minimize contact with people infected with the above viruses, proper hygiene, and frequent hand washing.

Piroplasmosis in dogs

After the bite, the causative agent of piroplasmosis, the protozoan microorganism Babesia canis (Babesia canis), enters the bloodstream and then multiplies in the erythrocytes of dogs.

Prevention for the dog

There are many ways to protect a dog. For example, drops on the withers of the Frontline Combo have never let me down. I found a tick bitten on a dog, but no longer alive. Principle of action: after contact with the skin of the animal, drops from ticks penetrate into the fat layer without reaching the circulatory system. The preparations are absorbed into the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. Treat the animal by dripping on the withers 2-3 days before the trip to the country and then every three weeks.

Frightening statistics

Over the past week, the number of people who applied to medical institutions due to tick bites has increased from 31 to 58 thousand people. A year ago, this figure was 1.6 times higher. This was told in Rospotrebnadzor, writes TASS . In mid-March, the agency began weekly monitoring of the spread of viral encephalitis and other tick-borne infections. During warm spring days, the number of Russians who turned to doctors for tick bites grew rapidly: on April 28, about 12.5 thousand people complained about the bites, and by May 5 their number exceeded 30 thousand, and by May 12 - 58 thousand.

Rospotrebnadzor conducts (so-called acaricidal) treatments aimed at the destruction of ticks. The department noted that to date, more than 105 thousand hectares have been processed.

"At the same time, more than 120,000 hectares are planned for processing, which is 30 percent more than last year," the ministry's press service said.

According to statistics, the first peak of tick activity in the metropolitan area is attributed to April-June, however, in the spring of 2017, ticks “woke up” earlier, starting to manifest themselves from the second decade of March, the site writes. 360 Moscow region "In Moscow, large parks, recreation areas and cemeteries are treated annually as part of prevention.

Treatment of the area from ticks is carried out in different regions of the country. For example, in Kemerovo this year it is planned to treat more than 1.5 million square meters of green areas with special equipment, and in Chelyabinsk - 80 public recreation facilities with a total area of ​​226 hectares. In Krasnoyarsk more than 200 hectares of land are planned to be treated against ticks.

Danger

Ticks are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases: tick-borne borreliosis, tick-borne viral encephalitis, ehrlichiosis, Crimean hemorrhagic fever, tularemia, relapsing tick fever, Tsutsugamushi fever, Astrakhan spotted fever and many others. At the same time, encephalitis is the most famous, but far from the most common disease in the central region of Russia. Much more common are cases of tick-borne borreliosis or Lyme disease. The infection is very insidious, it may not appear for years. In severe cases, borreliosis can become chronic, leading to damage to the internal organs, nervous system, joints and heart. As of May 12, 2017in St. Petersburg At least six people, including a child, have been infected with Lyme disease after being bitten by ticks.

Ticks found in the Moscow region, as a rule, are not carriers of encephalitis, in this region they are carriers of just borreliosis. Encephalitis is carried by ticks living in Altai, Western and Eastern Siberia. Meanwhile, on April 25, 2017, Russian scientists isolated strains of a new type of borreliosis. Head of the Laboratory of Natural Focal Infections of the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor Alexander Platonov in an interview with the newspaper " News "said that a new type of tick-borne borreliosis in its symptoms is similar to tick-borne encephalitis.

A new subtype of borreliosis is transmitted through the bacteria Borrelia Miyamotoi, which actively multiply in the salivary glands of the tick. Symptoms are immediately visible and resemble acute respiratory infections, poisoning or influenza: a high temperature of 40-41 degrees, nausea, vomiting, headaches and pain in muscles and joints. The disease can only be detected using PCR tests. As Platonov noted, in Russia, especially in Siberia, up to ten percent of all ticks are infected with a new causative agent of borreliosis.

The insidiousness of borreliosis is that there are no vaccinations against it. The only way to protect yourself is to minimize the risk of bloodsucking on the human body, which is especially important when going out into nature.TV channel "Moscow 24" .

Protect yourself and loved ones

A number of simple rules will help not to become a victim of ticks. First, there are vaccines for viral encephalitis. Vaccinations can be done in clinics, medical centers and research institutes. The medical institution where you plan to get vaccinated must have a license. In some of them, vaccinations can be done free of charge. A list of institutions can be foundon the website of Rospotrebnadzor . It is also necessary to remember that vaccinations must be done in advance, and for the formation of stable immunity - for several years and at strictly defined intervals. For detailed vaccination instructions, please consult your doctor.

According to Komsomolskaya Pravda, as of the end of April 2017, the statistics are such that 12,661 people bitten by encephalitis ticks applied to medical institutions throughout Russia. But this is only official statistics, which does not include thousands of summer residents who independently pull out bloodsuckers without going to first-aid posts.

At the same time, experts report that the peak of tick activity occurs in most Russian regions in May-June, as well as in August. It is during this period that Rospotrebnadzor recommends being extremely careful and careful when visiting summer cottages, parks and forest parks within the city. But only in Moscow there are more than 70 parks, not to mention the adjacent territories with extensive green spaces.

The activity of ticks in Russia in 2017 in May-June is explained by the following reasons:

High-risk areas include: parks, playgrounds, yards and adjoining areas, cottages and holiday villages, cemeteries, tourist camps, etc. To find out if there are ticks in the area you are interested in, you can contact the nearest SES.

Official information of Rospotrebnadzor

In 2017, due to early warming, since March 16, Rospotrebnadzor specialists have been monitoring weekly encephalitis and other infections (human granulocytic anaplasmosis, tick-borne borreliosis, monocytic ehrlichiosis) transmitted by ixodid ticks.

The latest news is as follows: as of June 2, 2017, Rospotrebnadzor specialists organized mass anti-epidemic measures, more than 172,000 hectares underwent acaricide treatment against the planned 151,000 hectares, i.e. the plan was exceeded by 129%.

Also, points for the reception of ticks and their examination for infection with causative agents of borreliosis and encephalitis are open everywhere. As of June 2, 178.6 thousand people with the problem of ticks had already applied to these points, this number corresponds to annual statistics and is even 1.2 times less compared to the data of the last 2016.

Therefore, do not sow panic about the epidemic of ticks in 2017. In addition, Rospotrebnadzor is conducting an active educational campaign among the population.

According to official data from Rospotrebnadzor, areas with an increased risk of contracting encephalitis are:

• Siberia,
• Ural,
• Far East,
• North-West region (Leningrad region, St. Petersburg, etc.),
• in the Central region - Tver, Yaroslavl, Kostroma regions.

Just for those who live in the above regions or are going to go there on vacation, to study, etc., it is recommended that they be vaccinated against tick-borne viral encephalitis at least 2 weeks before the trip. This can be done at a state vaccination center or in a private clinic, at your own expense or free of charge at the expense of the CHI policy (you can check this with the insurance company).

As for the capital region, in 2017 ticks in Moscow attacked mainly the northern part of the country's main city. Therefore, the most dangerous areas are recognized:

• Dubna,
• Wedge,
• Dmitrov,
• Solnechnogorsk.

Useful information! To develop immunity against encephalitis, it is necessary to make 2 vaccinations with an interval of 1 month. It is advisable to get a third vaccination in a year - in this case, tick bites will not be terrible for the next 3 years.

According to information from Rospotrebnadzor, dangerous areas (with an excess of ticks in 2017) are shown on the map. So, for the Moscow region, these are: Voskresensky, Volokolamsky, Domodedovsky, Yegorevsky, Istrinsky, Klinsky, Kolomna, Krasnogorsky, Lukhovitsky, Lotoshinsky, Luberetsky, Mozhaysky, Mytishchinsky, Naro-Fominsky, Noginsky, Ozersky, Orekhovo-Zuevsky, Pushkinsky, Pavlovo-Posadsky , Ruzsky, Ramensky, Serpukhov, Sergiev Posad, Solnechnogorsky, Stupinsky, Taldomsky, Khimki, Shatursky, Shchelkovsky districts, as well as the cities of Lobnya, Balashikha, Dzerzhinsky, Zheleznodorozhny, Zhukovsky, Ivanteevka, Fryazino, Korolev.

Professional treatment against ticks is the best solution to the problem

To protect yourself and your surroundings in the 2017 tick season, you can get special vaccinations, but if the vaccination time is missed, it is better to order a professional acaricidal treatment against ticks. Using the advanced technologies of "hot fog" and "cold fog", exterminators will get rid of the invasion of encephalitis mites from the first time garden, park areas, forests and adjacent areas. In this case, special certified acaricidal preparations are used that are safe for animals and people, completely destroy dangerous insects and retain their effect for a month.

In the west of Moscow, a focus of tick-borne encephalitis has been identified - two cases of bites from infected ticks in the city occurred in 2016 and 2017, and the first of them led to the disease. This is reported by Izvestia with reference to a report by researchers from the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor.

At the same time, the department of Rospotrebnadzor in Moscow says that all cases of encephalitis in the capital occurred as a result of infection outside its borders, including the one noted in 2016, Izvestia reports.

The territory is considered safe for tick-borne encephalitis. This status may be changed if human diseases resulting from bites are observed and recorded within five years. In this case, residents will be able to receive free vaccinations against this disease. Now the territories closest to Moscow with the status of endemic for tick-borne encephalitis are the Dmitrovsky and Taldomsky districts of the Moscow region.

As the Acting Deputy Head of the Department for Supervision of Especially Dangerous Infections and Disinfection Activities of the Department told reporters Elena Tanygina, after the announcement of the data of the report, the prefecture of the Western District was issued an order to carry out barrier treatment of the forest park, which was carried out. The territory will be checked weekly, anti-tick treatment is carried out there.

“Encephalitis mites do not appear immediately and do not immediately disappear. Most likely, new cases of bites will be recorded in Moscow within a few years, - the chief researcher of the Center for Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology of Rospotrebnadzor told Izvestia Sergey Ignatov. - Encephalitis is a dangerous disease. But there are not very many ticks, of which only a few percent are encephalitic. And then, after a bite, only a few percent of people get sick, it depends on immunity.

Tick-borne encephalitis is carried by ixodid ticks. This disease affects the central and peripheral nervous system, can cause paralysis and even death. The incidence rate of tick-borne encephalitis in Russia in 2017 was 1.3 cases per 100,000 population. (Source: Izvestia)

Previously, the Mercy.ru portal has repeatedly published recommendations telling about how.

The younger the horse, the more severe the disease is. Infection occurs mainly during the period of activation of ticks from the species Dermacentor pictus and Dermacentor marginatus.

Horses that are most susceptible to infection are those with weakened immune defenses, which deteriorate as a result of the high level of exploitation of the horse or the presence of other chronic diseases.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

In general, piroplasmosis in horses has the same symptoms and pathogenesis as in other animals. The incubation period of the pathogens lasts from 1 to 2 weeks, and the disease itself is most often expressed in an acute clinical form and has the following symptoms:

The danger of the disease lies in its rapid development. If the spread of the disease is not stopped, the horse can die within a week after the first visible symptoms appear.

Diagnosis of piroplasmosis in horses is carried out on the basis of the symptoms that have appeared and is carried out in a complex manner. Epizootological indicators and pathoanatomical changes that have arisen in the course of the disease are also taken into account. The most reliable way to determine the presence of babesiosis is to conduct a blood test.

Treatment and prevention

After the detection of pathogens in the blood of an animal, a therapeutic course is developed, which must be carried out by a certified veterinarian. Treatment of equine piroplasmosis is complex and begins as soon as possible after diagnosis.

First of all, the destruction of pathogens in the blood is carried out by means of substances such as Imidocarb and Aceturate diminazene, which are introduced into the body through intramuscular injections.

In addition, supportive symptomatic treatment is carried out, which includes the use of laxatives and cardiac drugs, as well as adherence to a special diet.

In order to prevent the disease, attention should be paid to the means of individual protection of animals from the bites of ixodid ticks, as well as to take into account their seasonal activity and, if possible, destroy the ticks themselves, thus organizing pastures and walking areas that are clean from carriers of the disease.

In the horses themselves, after a successful cure, immunity to piroplasmosis appears for a period of 1 to 2 years.