tick paralysis
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Etiology
- Dermacentor andersoni & variabilis in USA
- other types of ticks in North America & elsewhere in the world
Epidemiology
rare
Pathology
- neuromuscular block & decreased nerve conduction by a toxin in the tick saliva
Clinical manifestations
- ascending flaccid paralysis
- weakness begins in the lower extremities 5-6 days after the tick has attached
- paralysis ascends symmetrically over several days to result in complete paralysis of the extremities & cranial nerves
- deep tendon reflexes are diminished or absent
- sensory examination findings are generally normal
Laboratory
- cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) analysis is generally normal
Complications
- failure to remove the tick may result in death from aspiration or respiratory paralysis
Management
- removal of the tick results in improvement within 1 hour & generally complete recovery after several days
- an antiserum to saliva of Ixodes holocyclus, the usual cause of tick paralysis in Australia, effectively reverses tick paralysis caused by these ticks
- see tick bite for tick removal
More general terms
Additional terms
- Dermacentor andersoni (Rocky Mountain wood tick)
- Dermacentor variabilis (American dog tick)
- tick bite
References
- ↑ Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 13th ed. Isselbacher et al (eds), McGraw-Hill Inc. NY, 1994, pg 934
- ↑ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cluster of tick paralysis cases--Colorado, 2006. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2006 Sep 1;55(34):933-5. PMID: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16943761