Colorado Tick Fever- Symptoms, Causes, Complications, And Treatment

Exclusively found in rocky mountains in Canada and western United States, colorado tick fever is an infection that happens from a bite of Dermacentor andersoni wood tick. Forest or wooded areas in the west land of colorado are the common habitat for these small brown parasites.

Colorado tick fever is made up of a double-stranded RNA virus that contains 12 segments. This type of pattern is also common in other types of viruses like the genus Coltivirus, Reoviridae, Spinareovirinae.

Furthermore, the size of the virus is comparatively larger than other arthropod-borne viruses. The size of the virus is about ~29,000 base pairs and has an icosahedral capsid structure with a diameter of 80 nm.

Most of the ticks like the Dermacentor andersoni wood tick need to feast on the blood of humans and animals for their survival. In every stage of life, from larva to a full-grown male or female tick they suck the blood of any animal or human for their survival.

The average lifespan of Dermacentor andersoni wood tick is approximately three years( in case they get enough supply of food through their life cycle).

Fortunately, the tick does not inherit any virus on its own, although during their period in life they keep on changing their host which often makes them a carrier of certain diseases or viral infections that may get transferred to you through a bite.

The tick gets infected while feasting on the blood of a reservoir animal, a living organism with a virus circulating in its bloodstream. Rodents like squirrels, chipmunks, and mice are common sources of ticks to get infected with Colorado tick fever.

Apart from a blood transfusion, the virus is not contagious. As the virus infects an individual’s bloodstream and is inherent in the body for several months, it is advisable for the infected person to avoid the donation of blood and bone marrow.

The symptoms of CTF started to show its effects within three to six days after the bite. This period is known as the incubation period, where the bacteria or virus grows in the infected area before going into the bloodstream.

In most cases, these symptoms fade away within 10- 15 days without any certain medication, although the patient should seek medical attention after this period of time.

Some of the common symptoms include

• 105°F or 40.5 C0 body temperature
• Light sensitivity
• Muscle aches
• Loss of appetite
• Chills
• Severe headache
• Vomiting
• Weakness and fatigue
• Nausea
• Abdominal pain
• Faint rash in the infected area
• Skin tenderness

Most of the symptoms of Colorado tick fever are quite identical except rash and redness in the infected area. One might get an instant diagnosis if the tick has bitten the patient at the beginning period of the symptoms.

If so, it is advisable to read out for medical diagnosis for an accurate result and professional treatment:

Your medical healthcare professional will perform a general examination including collecting data of medical history or any activity which may have been conducted in the presence of Dermacentor andersoni wood tick.

Other than that the doctor will run a couple of tests to diagnose the overall condition of the patient. These test may include:

• Complement Fixation Antibody Test:

  The test mainly diagnoses the number of antibodies in the blood for the required illness, which confirms its presence in the body. In the case of Colorado tick fever, the test will determine the presence of tick fever virus antibodies in the blood.

• Complete Blood Count:

  As the name itself clarifies, the test will measure the number of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in the patient’s body. This part of the examination will help the doctor to identify the root cause of the illness.

• Liver Function Tests:

  This test is conducted to evaluate the functionality of the liver. The examination will sum up the level of proteins, bilirubin, liver enzymes in the blood. The tick fever virus sometimes affects the leading and impaired function of the liver.

50% of the patients might experience biphasic illness, mostly in the adults who are in their 20’s. Rare cases may include conditions like:

1. Hepatitis:

   Is a condition in which inflammatory viral infection inflames the liver. There is no specific cure for hepatitis and it can lead to liver damage.

2. Encephalitis:

   Is a condition of brain tissue inflammation. A common cause of this inflammation is viral infections, bacteria, or even fungi.

3. Pericarditis:

   The disease creates an inflammation into the pericardium, also called the pericardial sac. The pericardium is a double-walled sac that contains the heart and the roots of great vessels. Tick fever can cause swelling and irritation which can lead to cardiac arrest and even death.

4. Myocarditis:

   Another illness that can be spread through tick fever which causes inflammation in the muscles of the heart. It can affect the heart muscle that might reduce the ability to pump which leads to rapid or abnormal heart rhythms.

5. Epididymal-orchitis:

   The viral infection can cause inflammation in the epididymis or testicle. It is usually due to infection that can transfer through urine infection or a sexually transmitted infection or tick bite.

6. Coma:

   Is a known prolonged state of unconsciousness. During a coma, a person is lost in its unconscious and most of the time is unresponsive to their environment.

   It is rare in the case of a tick bite, and medical experiencerts still don’t have any effective cure for this dangerous illness.

7. Pneumonia:

   The infection that develops pneumonia creates flames in the air sacs in one or both lungs. The air sacs get filled with bacterial fluid or pus, which cause difficulty in breathing. A variety of organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, can cause pneumonia, which can be transmitted through a tick bite.

8. Meningitis:

   This bacterial infection creates inflammation in the meninges ( which is a three-layer membrane on the brain and spinal cord surface. A tick bite can develop fluid surrounding the meninges and becomes infected, which leads to inflammation in the brain, spinal cord, or meninges.

Death is rare in the case of colorado tick fever, it usually happens in the case of disseminated intravascular coagulation or meningoencephalitis. Also, leukopenia and infection of hemopoietic progenitor cells can develop, their presence can be diagnosed through the number of white blood cells in the patient’s blood.

Another possible illness from colorado tick fever might affect the central nervous system which may reflect symptoms like stiff neck and confusion.

No specific treatment for Colorado tick fever has been discovered by the medical professionals So, it is important to remove the tick as soon as possible. If it’s difficult for you to remove the tick by yourself, seek medical attention to remove the entire tick from your skin safely.

Although surface symptoms can be treated with medication and treatment.

To cure the fever and muscle ache, your doctor might prescribe Tylenol, and other pain relief medications depending on the condition of the case.

In severe cases, the patient might need to be hospitalized to get intravenous fluids and medical observation for the next 14-21 days.

Since the disease tends to infect blood even after complete treatment for months, it is advisable for the patient to avoid blood and bone marrow donation, as it can infect the other patient through blood transfusion.

Depending upon the stage of life and gender of the tick, the Dermacentor andersoni wood tick can sustain itself for up to 7-10 days on your skin.

Medical professionals do not allow the patient to go through the Local’s often use bizarre tricks like alcohol, petroleum jelly, or lit match to suffocate the tick. It is dangerous to the patient as the tick might come under a fight response which may release toxic pathogens into the bloodstream.

The safest way to remove the tiny creature is to use fine-tipped tweezers. Cover your hands with latex or rubber gloves, if not use a paper towel or tissue to cover your fingers.

Grab the tick from the closest part of the skin and pull the tick with steady and light-handed motion.

Too much of a hard grip or jerking motion can kill the tick leaving its head parts into the underlayer of the skin, which will be very difficult for an individual to remove without medical help.

After removing the tick, but it instantly in a vacuum bag of ice mentioning the date records and keep it in a freezer for medical diagnosis.

If the infection starts to spread in the bloodstream the tick will help the doctor to identify the root cause speedily which results in early treatment and cure. Use warm water and antibacterial soap to wash your hands and infected area.

Most of the ticks are harmless and bacteria-free, so even if the head or part of the head is still stuck in the skin it will shead off eventually by the skin cells only.

If the part is big, use tweezers or a needle to remove the head parts out of your skin, apply rubbing alcohol to disinfect the skin and the apparatus you used to remove the tick.

• You fail to remove the tick or parts of the tick completely.
• The infected area shows signs of readiness, pain, and swelling after 48 hours of removal.
• Fatigue, nausea, and mild fever started to develop.
• Red and bumpy Rash started to spread on the skin around the wound.

These signs can be an alarming symptom of any viral or bacterial infection that may have been caused due to the infected tick’s bite.

It is rare for a tick fever to create any complications. Although, in some cases, the disease may lead to:

• Encephalitis:

  Is a disease that leads to the inflammation of the brain tissue.

• Meningitis:

  Is an inflammatory disease that leads to inflammation of the membranes in the brain and spinal cord.

• Hemorrhagic fever:

  The fever may lead to damage of the internal blood vessels and various other organs which may lead to coma or even death.

If possible, avoid the areas reported high manifestation of Dermacentor andersoni wood tick. Wear clothes that cover your whole body, including closed-toe shoes, tucked socks, and long pants along with a fully covered shirt with darker tints and shades. It is hard for ticks to identify darker tones.

For being extra precautionary, wear insect repellent that is effective to keep ticks away. If you are spending time in the forest or near wildlife, do check yourself and your traveling mates or pets for any tick infection before getting indoors.

If a tick has embedded in your body, immediately remove it and consult a medical professional for safety purposes.