Important Facts About Ticks and Tick-Borne Illness
Summer is the perfect time to explore South Carolina’s beautiful parks and forests, and our area provides an abundance on walking path and hiking trails, as well as cabins and campsites, to accommodate your outdoor excursions. While summer insects are a nuisance that cannot always be avoided, it is important to be aware of the serious health complications that can be caused by these pests. Unfortunately, ticks bites can be a factor for anyone who spends time outdoors, and diseases caused by these bites can be severe and even life threatening. Medical misdiagnoses and mistakes in detecting tick related illnesses are common, and it is important to arm yourself with the facts about these conditions in order to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Tick Borne Illness
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), tick borne diseases have become increasingly common as more people build homes in lesser populated, wooded areas where these pests are most likely to appear. The spring and summer months are the most common for tick related illnesses, which are generally caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites carried by the tick itself. Types of diseases that can be contracted by a tick bite include the following:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a common bacterial disease contracted by dog ticks.
- Ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, a common bacterial disease caused by deer ticks.
- Tularemia, a rare but serious bacterial disease caused by ticks and other carriers, such as deer flies.
- Lyme disease; the most common tick related, bacterial disease, which is transmitted by deer ticks.
- Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), one of the newest types of tick related bacterial diseases, also contracted through deer ticks.
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Symptoms of Tick Related Illness
The NIH reports that signs and symptoms of tick related illness can take days, weeks, and even months to appear, and when these symptoms do occur, it may be difficult to identify a tick related illness as the cause. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), symptoms of tick related illness include:
- Rash
- Fever and chills
- Extreme tiredness and fatigue
- Headaches
- Muscle aches and joint pains
- Chest pain and respiratory problems
These symptoms can linger for months without the proper diagnosis, and in severe cases, can result in severe infections and partial paralysis. The CDC states that while tick borne illness can be difficult to diagnose, early recognition of the condition and proper treatment are vital to reducing the risks for serious complications.
Reach Out to Us for Assistance
If you are a loved one is dealing with serious health consequences as the result of a medical misdiagnosis or error, contact our South Carolina medical malpractice attorneys today. We can advise you on how to hold negligent medical provider accountable so that you can get the compensation you need to recover.
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