Ticks in Rostov-on-Don and the Rostov region - dangerous areas on the map
The dangerous tick-infested areas of Rostov, marked on the map, remain unchanged from year to year.
There are also many areas in the Rostov region where the risk of being bitten by a tick is highest.
Symptoms of the disease
The tick itself is not particularly dangerous; it drinks only a few milliliters of blood, after which it leaves its intermediate host. However, in case of serious damage, when there are dozens of such bloodsuckers on the animal’s body at the same time, the dog may experience discomfort, irritation and itching. The pet will often itch and behave restlessly. The greatest danger from tick bites is the infections that this parasite carries.
It is not always possible to notice these blood-sucking insects with the naked eye in a pet’s thick fur, so it is necessary to pay attention to the dog’s condition and take into account the signs that indicate that the animal is infected with a parasite. It should be said that all breeds, without exception, are at risk of being bitten and infected by ticks.
It is customary to distinguish the following reactions and symptoms of a dog to a tick bite:
In neurotoxic reactions, tick paralysis is noted, and a gradual deterioration in the animal’s condition occurs.
The dog's limbs may be taken away, the back part of the body ceases to function, the vessels supplying the brain fail, suffocation and death occur. Yorkies and small Spitz dogs may have seizures and jaundice. Such neurotoxic reactions occur when the pet owner does not promptly contact a veterinarian and does not take any action to treat the animal.
What to do and not to do if bitten by a tick - expert advice
If you fail to protect yourself and the tick manages to attach itself, you should know the following rules:
- Remove the tick from under the skin as soon as possible without damaging it. Prompt removal will reduce the chances of contracting dangerous diseases.
- Do not pour oil on the tick, do not put out matches on it, or pierce it with a needle. The more suffering you cause him, the more saliva with infection he will release under his skin.
- If you are afraid or cannot remove the tick yourself, go to the emergency room, they will do it in 2 minutes.
- Save the tick and send it for examination.
Danger of tick bites
Ticks are insects that are quite dangerous for both pets and humans and are carriers of various infectious diseases. Without exception, all dogs with whom owners walk on the street will be at risk. For a pet to be bitten by this parasite, it is not at all necessary to go out into the forest; it is quite possible to pick up a tick on the lawn near a house in the city center. All pet owners, without exception, need to be careful and regularly examine their dog.
Ticks most often live in tall grass or coniferous bushes. Here they wait for their prey, sensing it through the exhaled carbon dioxide. Such parasites cling to the animal's fur, slowly and imperceptibly make their way to the skin and dig into the dog's body, sucking on its blood. During such a bite, the tick most often infects the victim with various infectious diseases, which can even lead to the death of a pet and a person.
When an animal’s blood is infected, its cells begin to locally deteriorate, a significant deterioration in metabolic processes is noted, and severe intoxication appears. And all these symptoms develop literally within a few days. If the body is seriously damaged, such blood poisoning can lead to the rapid death of the animal. Such diseases are especially dangerous for pregnant dogs that have a weakened body.
The most dangerous diseases carried by ticks are the following infections:
- piroplasmosis leads to the destruction of hemoglobin cells with damage to all internal organs, and the pet becomes lethargic and passive;
- encephalitis leads to blindness, paralysis of the knees and limbs, and various nerve disorders;
- borreliosis or Lyme disease causes inflammation of the joints, which spreads throughout the body and leads to chronic painful arthritis;
- bartonellosis is accompanied by a disorder of the nervous system, the dog loses orientation in space and cannot walk correctly;
- With hepatozoonosis, purulent discharge from the eyes, muscle pain and severe fever are noted.
The dog owner should remember that if the puppy is bitten by a tick, it is not enough to simply remove it from the pet’s body.
If the parasite managed to attach itself to the animal, then an infection may have occurred, which can be fatal for the four-legged friend. The speed at which symptoms of a dangerous disease appear and the incubation period will depend on the size of the dog, its breed and immunity. Experts advise not to take risks and after each tick bite, take your pet to a veterinarian, who will conduct the necessary blood tests and inject the animal with an antibiotic. It is important to know the symptoms if a dog is bitten by a tick and what to do in such situations.
Addresses for help
You may not feel the tick bite, but you can actually see it on your skin. Noticed the black dot? Take a closer look. Perhaps this is not dirt, not a mole, but the abdomen of an arthropod. You should not get rid of the parasite on your own; it is better to contact specialists at the nearest emergency room for this purpose.
- City Hospital No. 1 named after. ON THE. Semashko Ave. Voroshilovsky, 105, phone
- City Emergency Hospital St. Bodraya, 88/35, phone
- Emergency room of the Sovetsky and Zheleznodorozhny district Prospect Kommunistichesky, 39, phone: +7 (863) 271-99-65
- Clinic No. 1 (emergency room) St. Sergeantova, 3, telephone
- Clinic No. 4 (emergency room) Bogatyanovsky Spusk, 27, telephone
- Children's emergency room of clinic No. 20 Kommunistichesky Ave., 39, telephone
- Children's emergency room Kirovsky Ave., 27, telephone
Varieties of bloodsuckers
Today, biologists know more than 40 thousand different species of ticks. These are one of the most common insect species on earth, many of which are dangerous and can bite domestic animals and humans. They live on different continents and have learned to exist even in conditions where other creatures are simply unable to survive. The sizes of these insects range from one or two microns to 3-5 centimeters in diameter.
The following types of ticks pose the greatest danger to dogs:
Ixodids, which became so called because of their hard armor, are distinguished by the presence of a chitinous shell that perfectly protects their body.
Their peculiarity is their large size, which is 2.5 centimeters, and after parasitizing the animal, the diameter of the body of this bloodsucker increases several times. Such insects look like large beetles. Ixodid ticks live in central Russia; they prefer shrubs and pine needles; adult ticks are brown in color and can bite animals and humans.
Argasaceae are often found in bird nests and old houses, and they parasitize cattle and domestic animals. The bites of such insects are extremely painful, immediately causing burning and itching. Argas ticks are light in color; after a bite they are easily brushed off, but the trunk often remains in the wound, which leads to various skin diseases.
Scabies mites have become widespread and cause various dangerous diseases. They feed on a special secretion secreted by the skin. Dogs experience itching, redness and scabies at the bite sites. These ticks are easily distinguishable; they are larger in size and have a characteristic gray color.
Prevention, treatment and destruction, where to vaccinate
With timely treatment after a parasite bite, the development of the pathological process can be avoided and complications can be prevented. To do this, immunoglobulin is administered and a course of antibiotic therapy is prescribed. Prevention measures include:
- vaccination - today this is the most effective way to protect against tick-borne encephalitis;
- treatment of household plots with acaricidal preparations.
You can carry out this treatment yourself or contact a specialist.
Vaccination against TVE in the Rostov region is carried out at INVITRO – Rostov-on-Don LLC at the following addresses::
- 344092, Rostov-on-Don, Kosmonavtov Ave., 6/13, tel. 8 (863) 231-19-42;
- 344002, Rostov-on-Don, Lenin Ave., 44/6, tel. 8 (863) 242-59-58.
The Rospotrebnadzor Office for the Rostov Region informs that as of April 14, 2016, 311 people contacted treatment and prevention organizations in the region due to tick bites, of which 99 were children under the age of 14 years.
The largest number of victims was registered in the cities. Rostov-on-Don, Novoshakhtinsk, Taganrog, Volgodonsk; Salsky, Semikarakorsky, Oktyabrsky (s), Peschanokopsky, Neklinovsky, Egorlyksky districts.
Infections transmitted by ixodid ticks include tick-borne viral encephalitis TBE), Crimean hemorrhagic fever (CHF), ixodid tick-borne borreliosis (ITB), tularemia, tick-borne rickettsiosis (TR), human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HEM), Q fever and other infections.
The Rostov region is endemic for CCHF (41 territories) and ITB (17 territories). Vaccination against CCHF and ITB is not carried out.
Populations traveling to TVE-endemic areas are given preventive vaccinations (the Rostov region is not TVE-endemic).
Among professional groups, persons employed in agricultural, construction, geological, survey, landscaping, etc. are at the greatest risk of contracting infections transmitted by ticks.
Shepherds, milkmaids, cattle workers, people involved in slaughtering and shearing livestock, and in field cultivation and other agricultural work are at greatest risk of CCHF infection.
What to do if you are bitten by a tick?
If ticks are found attached to the body, they should be removed immediately; The faster you do this, the less likely it is that dangerous pathogens will enter your bloodstream.
To do this, you need to contact a medical and preventive organization, where you will be provided with first aid - removing the tick and treating the wound; The addresses and opening hours of medical organizations are indicated on the official websites of these institutions, or in telephone directories of cities and districts of the region.
If you removed the tick yourself, you need to keep the tick as intact as possible, place it in a tightly closed container (for example, a glass bottle) and to determine the species diagnosis, contact specialists (entomologists) at the branches of the Federal Budgetary Institution of Health Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Rostov Region, which are located in the regions; or at the Federal Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology in the Rostov Region” (Rostov-on-Don, 7 Line St., 67, reception hours from 900 to 1700; tel. 275-74-18) or a branch of the Federal Budgetary Healthcare Institution “Center hygiene and epidemiology in the Rostov region" in Rostov-on-Don (Rostov-on-Don, Larina St., 10, reception hours from 900 to 1700; tel. 245-53-23). To date, 992.64 hectares of epidemiologically significant areas have been treated against ticks in the region, and activities continue. When contacted regarding tick bites in an area where CCHF is endemic, the victims are subject to medical observation for 14 days with daily double thermometry.
Medical observation of victims of tick bites is carried out in a medical and preventive organization at the place of residence; the volume and frequency of laboratory tests (according to indications) is determined by specialists from these institutions.
In case of fever or other clinical manifestations, you must immediately consult a doctor and do not self-medicate!
HOW to remove a tick at home?
1) First and foremost advice: If you have never had to remove a tick from a person, then consult a doctor to avoid any negative consequences.
2) If you are sure that you can handle it yourself, carry out the procedure very carefully.
The main task is to prevent squeezing or crushing the tick - because this will cause the poison to be injected into the bloodstream.
The tick, like a gimlet, is screwed under the skin, so if it is removed incorrectly, part of it can get stuck inside the skin and this will significantly increase the risk of infection.
Method one: twisting.
It is fashionable to twist the tick in any direction. To do this, grab the parasite with your thumb and forefinger (wear rubber medical gloves) and slowly begin to twist, holding the insect perpendicular to the skin. You can use tweezers.
Don't forget: you need to grab the tick as close to the surface of the skin as possible. The most important thing is not to remove it, otherwise the tick will spray poison into the skin.
Method two: strangulation
Pour a few drops of vegetable oil or other fatty substance onto the tick. The essence of the method is the suffocation effect: the insect independently gets out, leaving the human body.
Happened? What's next?
- Treat the wound with an antiseptic (hydrogen peroxide 3%, tincture of iodine).
— Wash the instrument and hands thoroughly and disinfect.
Rules for submitting a tick to the laboratory:
— Keep the tick alive.
— Place the tick in a container with paper pre-moistened with water so that it does not die during transportation.
— Transfer the tick to the laboratory at the Epidemiology Centers or contact the clinic at your place of residence.
Attention!
Do not self-medicate - consult a doctor!
N. A. Khachirova
Where to look for ticks on a dog?
Ticks prefer to hide and can most often be found in the groin, armpits, stomach, and ear area. Often does not mean always. Ticks can also be found on the body and head of the animal. You can also find completely non-typical places of bites: the mucous side of the oral cavity, paw pads, interdigital spaces. Therefore, ticks must be looked for on the entire dog. Even if she is smooth-haired and shorn, she still needs to be examined all over. You can also comb your dogs after a walk, but the ticks are very small and even by combing your dog you can miss the parasite. Despite all these manipulations, the tick can still bite the tailed friend.
Correct algorithm
The owner of a dog that has been bitten by an encephalitis tick needs to act correctly and as quickly as possible. If you do nothing or start an infection in the future, this will lead to the appearance of a serious illness in the animal, which will be impossible to cope with even with proper treatment.
Today, professional veterinarians work in Moscow and Rostov who can quickly identify the disease and treat your pet. Don't put off visiting the veterinarian until later. As soon as the owner notices that his dog has been bitten by a tick or characteristic symptoms have appeared, it is necessary to immediately take the animal to the doctor. Otherwise, the consequences could be dire.
Treatment of a dog after a tick bite should in no case be done independently . Only an experienced veterinarian will be able to understand the dog’s problems, correctly identify the specific type of disease and prescribe appropriate medications. It is because of the wrong choice of treatment by the owners themselves that dogs often die when infected with tick-borne encephalitis. If the pet’s condition is extremely weak and critical, the dog is left in the hospital, a medicine is injected with a dropper and the animal is monitored around the clock.
You can remove a tick from the animal’s body yourself, and you should act carefully, without tearing off the head or throwing away such a bloodsucker. Today, some veterinary clinics even offer the opportunity to check ticks for encephalitis and other dangerous diseases. To loosen an insect that has burrowed into an animal’s body, you need to drop a special agent called “Amitrazine” on it; you can also use regular sunflower oil. After such treatment, you should carefully brush off the tick or remove it with tweezers, making characteristic twisting movements.
After removing the tick, the wound should be treated with brilliant green and the pet should be shown to the veterinarian . At the same time, you need to remember that it is not recommended to walk the dog in the coming days, closely monitoring the dog’s condition. If, due to the owner’s oversight, the dog has eaten a tick, then they urgently contact a veterinarian, where they perform gastric lavage.
Treatment of a sick dog involves not only injections of antibiotics or appropriate medications, but also a proper diet that will completely restore the animal’s body. Proper nutrition consists of light foods without heavy animal fats. The animal must be fed strictly on a schedule and only with fresh food.
Veterinarians also advise giving your dog fresh rosehip decoction, which is prepared without sugar and perfectly removes toxins from the body. During the treatment period and during recovery, which usually lasts for one and a half to two months, a gentle walking regimen is prescribed; training, competitions and hunting are also excluded. Any stress on the body of a recovering dog should be minimal.
Piroplasmosis in dogs - symptoms,
Piroplasmosis (babesiosis) is a very dangerous and widespread infectious disease that is caused by a tick bite. It occurs quite often in dogs. Ixodid ticks are carriers of the causative agent of this disease - protozoal parasites of the genus Babesia, located in the salivary glands of the tick. Having entered the dog’s bloodstream through a bite, Babesia very quickly begin to destroy red blood cells and the animal’s condition deteriorates sharply within 2-3 days.
In the acute course of the disease, the following symptoms are typical (observed most often):
In the chronic course of the disease, the following symptoms are observed (occurs much less frequently, as a rule, in animals with strong immunity):
Borreliosis in dogs - symptoms
Borreliosis (Lyme disease) is a disease that is dangerous for both humans and dogs. Caused by a spirochete of the genus Borrelia.
Borreliosis often occurs in a latent form; at the onset of the disease, clinical manifestations may be absent and appear only when the disease becomes chronic.
The first symptoms (fever) pass quickly and only after a few months such manifestations of the disease as:
Lyme disease can be avoided by inspecting the animal's fur daily, since the causative agent of the disease enters the body only after 24-48 hours. Timely tick removal will help avoid infection.
