Almost died from infection from tick bite

Hanoi 52-year-old male patient, fever for 7 days, with many chills but did not see a doctor, then admitted to the emergency room due to difficulty breathing, was discovered by the doctor to have scrub typhus.

The patient was taken to the 108 Military Hospital with fever, difficulty breathing, fatigue, headache, low blood pressure, and chest pain. Before coming to the hospital, the patient had a fever lasting 7 days, with many chills, and a 2cm black scaly ulcer on the right thigh, oozing fluid.

The test results showed that the patient was positive for Rickettsia - a type of bacteria that causes scrub typhus, transmitted by tick larvae. After a week of active treatment, the man's fever was gone, he was breathing well on his own, and his blood pressure was stable.

On July 3, Dr. Nguyen Dang Manh, Director of the Institute of Infectious Diseases, said this was one of many cases where patients subjectively did not go to medical facilities for timely examination, leading to complications and endangering their lives.

"Tick fever is caused by a type of bacteria called Orientalis tsutsugamushi, belonging to the Rickettsia family. If not detected promptly and treated properly, tick fever can lead to dangerous complications, including myocarditis, multiple organ failure, and even death," said Dr. Manh.

Tick bite. Photo: Provided by the hospital — Tick bite. Photo: *Provided by the hospital*

Doctors recommend that if you have a sudden, prolonged high fever, accompanied by chills, headache, body aches; skin congestion, conjunctival congestion... you should see a doctor immediately. The typical signs of scrub typhus sores are oval, 0.5 to 2 cm in size, with black scales or peeling scales, forming ulcers with edges, pink bottom, no discharge or little discharge, usually painless, not itchy, localized in soft skin areas such as armpits, chest, neck.

Other signs include skin rash, swollen lymph nodes, enlarged liver and spleen, and in some cases, jaundice. In addition, patients often have symptoms of cough, difficulty breathing, and acute respiratory failure leading to death.

To prevent the disease, people should regularly clear bushes, destroy epidemic areas, apply insecticide, keep their homes clean, and wash clothes after each use.

Le Nga

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