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What is African Tick Bite Fever?
African tick bite fever is a bacterial infection spreading through the bite of infected ticks . Usually the symptoms in African check mark bite fever appears within 2 weeks after a check mark bite and most often let in fever , musculus soreness , head ache , rashes etc . In case of African tick bite feverishness , the site of the tick bite turns black with an area of redness around it . One can notice more than one chomp site , however sometimes the site of bite may not be visible . The infection of African tick sharpness fever is commonly not severe and there have been no recorded deaths from it .
African tick bite febrility also known as ATBF is causal agency by the bacteria Rickettsia africae in Sub Saharan Africa and the West Indies . This bacteria is transmitted to humans by ticks in the Amblyomma genus . This is actually a character of spotty feverishness and symptom may not always be present . Severe complications in African check bite fever are very rare . Headache , roseola , febrility etc are some of the symptom and diagnosing is base on the symptom . You physician may advice you for antibiotics so as to handle the condition .
Who is at Risk of Getting African Tick Bite Fever?
Travelers to Sub - Saharan Africa and the West Indies are mostly at risk of getting the septic with African check bite pyrexia . You may be more at risk for African tick bite fever if your change of location plans include out-of-door activities like hike , tenting , game hunting in wooded or grassy orbit . Ticks that are infected with tick bite febrility are mostly active during the month of November through April . So , you may be at a risk of infection of getting African tick sharpness fever if you are claver the place during these months .
Epidemiology for African Tick Bite Fever:
Cases of African check mark snack febrility have been frequently describe in the lit among the international travelers more than the local population . Among local anesthetic living in autochthonal area , vulnerability at a untried old age and mild symptoms or deficiency of symptom , and also decreased access to diagnostic tools , may lead to reduced diagnosis . In Zimbabwe , where Rickettsiae africae is endemic , a study has reported an estimated annual incidence of 60 to 80 cases per 10 , 000 patients .
As per publish data over 35 old age , near to 200 confirmed cases of African tick bite feverishness in International travelers have been account . About 80 % of these eccentric pass in travelers returning from South Africa .
Causes of African Tick Bite Fever:
Bacteriology:
The bacteria causing the African ticking bite febricity is the Rickettsia africae ; which is a gram disconfirming , obligate intracellular , bacteria belonging to Rickettsia genus .
Vectors:
In Sub Saharan Africa , the most common vectors of Rickettsia africae are two species of heavy tick namely ; Amblyomma variegatum and Amblyomma hebraeum . Other species of Amblyomma in Sub - Saharan Africa may also convey Rickettsia africae . Amblyomma tick , unlike other hard tick species , actively seek out hosts . These tick are eff to be more aggressive and it is also get laid that several ticks may attack at once , causing clusters of African check mark bite feverishness pillow slip within mathematical group of people travelling or working together .
Pathogenesis:
After R.africae infect homo via a tick bite , it invades endothelial cells in the person ’s circulatory system or in veins , arteries and capillaries . Then after the body releases chemical substance that cause inflammation and thus result in characteristic symptom such as febrility , concern etc . Rickettsia bacteria species such as R. africae double around the area of the initial ticking bite and cause cadre death or necrosis and inflammation of lymph node . This leads to the characteristic eschar .
Symptoms of African Tick Bite Fever:
Complications Associated With African Tick Bite Fever:
Usually complication in showcase of African ticking chomp febricity are uncommon and hardly life threatening . Some of the complications may admit :
Diagnosis for African Tick Bite Fever:
Treatment for African Tick Bite Fever:
African tick pungency febrility is treated with antibiotics . One want to take 2 hebdomad antibiotic course of oral Doxycycline Hydrochloride 100 mg two times a day which is ordinarily order . Usually patient feel better after taking this course of action of antibiotic , though in sure shell the fever may stay longer and symptoms like joint pain , fatigue duty etc would also be there . In some suit residual scrape at the inoculation web site may also be seen for a while . lead the utter course of study of medication is all-important for you or else the contagion might recur .
Precautions to Be Maintained By Travelers to Keep Away From African Tick Bite Fever:
Precautions to Maintain While Traveling:
There are specific ways how travelers to Africa or West Indies can keep away from African tick bite fever . Below are certain precautional measures .
Conclusion:
It is very straight that compress African check mark snack fever is not fun , especially after a squeamish campaign in the jungle . Hope this entropy is middling beneficial for you . Kindly do not delay meeting with your doctor in case you have any of the symptoms that look like African check bite fever so that you are well do by and in a proper time .
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