Tick-borne encephalitis is a dangerous disease that can have very serious consequences for a person, up to death. Encephalitis is an insidious disease, a person may not suspect for a long time that he is infected, and not take any action, because the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis can reach 21 days.
Factors affecting the length of the incubation period
How long the time from the bite of an infected tick to the onset of signs of encephalitis depends on a number of factors. First of all, from the state of the body of a bitten person. The better the defense system works, that is, the stronger the immunity, the longer the so-called “contagious period”.
In children, the elderly, whose immunity is weaker, and the incubation period for the development of diseases is shorter. With a very weakened immune system, signs of encephalitis may appear as early as 2 days after the bite.
There are times when the body's immune defenses are so strong that the symptoms of encephalitis never occur. The body is successfully fighting the virus, while producing antibodies, forming immunity to the virus. Evidence that the body has been infected, in this case, is only a blood test, which detects antibodies to encephalitis.
On average, the incubation period of tick-borne encephalitis lasts 8-14 days. The first symptom is fever - an increase in temperature to 38, sometimes up to 40 degrees. There is weakness, chills, weakness.
The duration of the incubation period of encephalitis also depends on the amount of virus that entered the body during a bite. Much here depends on how early the sucking tick is detected. If a little time has passed, then the tick, most likely, will not have time to transmit a large amount of the virus to the human body. Rapid detection and removal of an infected tick significantly reduces the likelihood of infection with encephalitis, but does not completely eliminate it.
The degree of infection depends on the correct removal of the tick. If the tick was crushed upon removal, then there is a high probability that all the virus in it will penetrate into the wound at the site of the bite.
The sooner encephalitis is detected, the sooner treatment can begin and the more effective it will be. Therefore, if you are bitten by a tick, you must definitely consult a doctor, undergo the necessary examination. Tick-borne encephalitis has an incubation period of 2 to 21 days, so early detection is the key to successful treatment.
When contacting a doctor in the near future after a bite, the doctor prescribes the appropriate treatment, and the likelihood of complications is significantly reduced. An infected person is injected with immunoglobulin, which helps the body fight the virus. This fight is much more successful if the virus has not had time to multiply in the body.
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