The expert doctor of the laboratory “Hemotest” Roman Ivanov described the main actions in the event of a tick bite.
In an interview with RT, he noted that in this case it is necessary to urgently consult a doctor, but the option of self-extraction of the insect is also possible. To do this, you need to take the tick with tweezers or fingers wrapped in two layers of gauze and slowly twist it out of the skin. At the same time, it is important not to crush the body of the tick, so that you can then place it in a container and give it for research.
In the event that it was not possible to give the tick for research, you will need to take a blood test within 10 days.
The doctor reminded that the most dangerous of tick-borne infections is encephalitis, moreover, even if vaccinated against it, a tick can infect borreliosis, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.
Earlier, chief researcher of the Gamaleya Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology, virologist Anatoly Altshtein, said that seasonal tick activity is expected to start in April. He noted that human bites usually begin in May, 3 to 4 weeks after the insects become active. Altshtein warned that ticks bite Russians most actively in Siberia, the Urals and the Far East, and therefore residents of these regions should be vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis. According to him, in the European part of Russia, tick bites are less common.
