Blood tests after a tick bite

With the arrival of summer, tick attacks on people are increasing. Parasites begin to bite already in early spring. The peak of activity falls on May, June, when warm weather sets in and many people prefer to spend weekends and holidays in nature. Since ticks are carriers of dangerous viruses, tests after a tick bite need to be tested to confirm the presence or absence of pathogens in the human body.

Post Bite Actions

When a person finds a parasite attached to its body, it is necessary to immediately remove it.To do this, you can use tweezers, a simple thread or a special tool for removing mites. Before you deliver the tick to the laboratory, it must be placed in a glass container with a lid and put inside a damp cloth. It is necessary to store the tick at home in the refrigerator, but not more than two days after removing it from the victim.

On a note!

To find out if the parasite has been infected with a virus, it is taken for analysis to the nearest laboratory at the diagnostic center. They conduct a PCR study on the presence in the body of the parasite of extraneous DNA. The cost of such a study of a tick per infection is about 500 rubles. When contacting a clinic, a tick bite is examined and can recognize an infection by the appearance of the skin around the bite.

When a person is infected with borreliosis or Lyme disease for 2-3 days after the attack of the parasite, the skin around the bite becomes red. Spot size can be up to 50 cm in diameter. A few days later the redness passes. Sometimes infection with borreliosis does not manifest itself in a few weeks. Then the first signs of the disease appear:

• sharp increase in body temperature;
• aching joints;
• dizziness;
• arrhythmia.

The first signs of borreliosis

In tick-borne encephalitis, the symptoms of the disease are similar to Lyme disease. They also appear 2-3 weeks after the bite. Wait for the obvious symptoms of dangerous infections is not worth it. It is necessary to contact a medical institution and pass a blood test after a tick bite. Addresses and phone numbers of medical centers, where you can donate blood for viruses after a parasite bite, can be found on city administration sites or found at the nearest clinic or hospital.

Tick ​​bite analysis

If you bit a tick, you need to remember the exact date. This information is needed to know exactly when to give blood after a tick bite. The formation of antibodies in human blood begins 10-14 days after the virus enters the body during a bite. During this period, you need to donate blood for research in a special laboratory at the medical center. Tick ​​bite tests are performed using several methods:

1. PCR - A study of blood by the method of polymerase chain reaction is the most common way to detect molecules of foreign DNA in the blood or urine. For additional information about the presence of a virus in the human body take on analysisjoint and cerebrospinal fluid.
2. Western blot is the most reliable type of immunological research. The test confirms the presence or absence of IgG antibodies that appear in the biomaterial only in the presence of infectious agents.
3. ELISA - determines the presence in the blood of antibodies of the class lgM. This method is fairly accurate and is widely used in such cases.

Tick ​​bite analysis

What tests you need to pass when a tick bites, prompted the employees of the medical institution, where the victim will turn. The result of the study is usually ready in 2 days. The cost of analysis for the presence of antibodies lgM and lgG in the blood is 700-800 rubles each. The survey can be conducted in private laboratories Invitro, KDL, Helix, Bion, Gemotest. In the case of a positive analysis, the administrator of the medical facility immediately contacts the victim and calls for treatment in the hospital.

On a note!

Blood sampling and its analysis will be cheaper if you contact the government agencies. But the deadline for providing results can move up. Private clinics are qualitatively distinguished by fast service and an individual approach to the client,but for this you need to pay a large amount of money.

The attending physician prescribes immunotherapy and the necessary drugs to suppress the infection. The first emergency treatment for tick-borne encephalitis is the injection of immunoglobulin. It contributes to the suppression of infection in humans. Next, a course of antiviral drugs is prescribed.

When detecting borreliosis causative agents in human blood, 200 mg of doxycycline is taken as first aid. It is a strong antibiotic that can cope with bacteria infection. Next, vitamins, antivirals are prescribed and must ensure rest and bed rest for the victim.