On May 9th, according to reports from multiple domestic media outlets, an 83-year-old grandmother in Zhejiang suddenly developed a fever, accompanied by poor appetite, fatigue, and despite receiving intravenous fluids for three days, her high fever persisted and she also experienced symptoms such as drowsiness and irregular heartbeat.
After hospital examination, the elderly woman's white blood cells and platelets were significantly decreased, and enzymes such as myocardial enzymes and transaminases were markedly abnormal. It was determined that she was bitten by ticks, infected with the novel Bunia virus, which later tested positive.
Subsequently, CDC workers visited the patient's home to investigate the situation, only to discover nearly two hundred ticks, all of which were promptly eliminated after intervention.
It is reported that from April to September each year is the active period of ticks. Ticks have a wide range of hosts, including humans, livestock, and wild animals, among others.
Ticks have a blood-sucking habit. When not feeding, they are the size of a grain of rice, but after feeding on blood, they can swell to the size of a soybean or even larger.
Most importantly, ticks are reservoir hosts for various zoonotic pathogens, so being bitten by them can potentially lead to disease transmission.
Experts say that after being bitten by a tick, the skin may develop a red spot, usually without itching or pain. In more severe cases, there may be bruising and swelling around the bite area.
If a tick is found attached to the body, it should not be forcefully pulled off as this may cause the tick's head to remain embedded in the skin, increasing the risk of pathogen release.
To remove a tick, one can apply pine oil, ether, alcohol, etc., to the tick's head to help it detach naturally, or gently pull it out with fine-tipped tweezers, ensuring to disinfect the wound promptly.
