A tick-borne fever: What you need to know about Colorado Tick Fever

Have you ever been to a forest or a mountainous area? We all know that when you go there, you have to be careful of small animals, namely ticks. Today we are going to talk about a disease that is transmitted by such a tick, which is a bit rare, but it is very important to be aware of. Although this disease is not common in our country, it is very important to be aware of it, especially for those who travel abroad.

What is Colorado Tick Fever?

Simply put, this is a viral disease transmitted by a special tick called the Rocky Mountain wood tick. This virus first infects small animals like squirrels and chipmunks. Then, the virus infects the ticks that suck the blood of these animals. If a tick that has such a virus in its body bites you, you can also get this disease.

This disease is also called 'mountain fever'. It is most commonly seen in the western parts of the United States and some parts of Canada. Therefore, we in Sri Lanka do not need to be too afraid of this. However, if you are traveling to these countries, it is definitely important to be aware of this.

It is caused by an RNA virus belonging to the group `(coltivirus)`. Usually, if you contract this disease, symptoms such as fever, body aches, and headache will appear and will resolve within a week. However, in some cases, symptoms may last longer and serious complications may occur.

What are the symptoms of this disease?

Symptoms usually begin to appear within two weeks of being bitten by a tick. Let's take a look at what these symptoms are.

"Biphasic Fever" pattern

A special thing that can be seen in this disease is this 'biphasic' pattern. That is, the fever comes, subsides in two or three days, and you feel a little better. But then the fever comes again. Our people call this 'the fever comes, goes, and comes again.' This is a characteristic that can be seen in only half of the patients.

Can complications occur?

Although most people recover completely from this disease, severe complications can occur very rarely.

• Meningitis: Infection of the membranes covering the brain.
• Encephalitis: Infection of the brain.
• Heart disease: Infection of the heart muscle (myocarditis) or the membrane surrounding the heart (pericarditis).
• Pneumonia and coma.

Young children and older people with other medical conditions are especially at risk of complications.

How is the disease diagnosed and treated?

Your doctor will first ask you about your symptoms, and whether you have recently traveled anywhere or been exposed to an environment where ticks may be present.

Several blood tests can be done to confirm the disease.

• Antibody tests: These tests can take about 2-3 weeks to get results.
• RT-PCR test: This detects the RNA fragments of the virus and results can be obtained quickly.

The symptoms of this disease can be similar to other tick-borne diseases, such as Lyme Disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. However, the other two diseases are bacterial infections and require antibiotics. Since Colorado Tick Fever is a viral disease, antibiotics do not cure it. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis is very important.

What are the treatments?

Because this is a viral disease, there is no specific medicine that can completely cure it. Your doctor will give you medicine to control your symptoms. For example, they will give you medicine to reduce your fever and relieve your body aches. If the disease is severe, you may need to be hospitalized and given intravenous fluids and other supportive care.

Most importantly: How to prevent the disease?

"Prevention is better than cure," they say. Since there is no vaccine for this disease, the best thing to do is to avoid ticks. Be especially careful if you are traveling to areas where ticks are common.

• Wear protective clothing: If you are going to a forested or grassy area, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts that cover as much of your body as possible. Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to see a tick. Tuck your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from crawling up your legs.

• Use insect repellent: Apply insect repellent to exposed skin. Products containing ingredients such as DEET or Picaridin are most effective.

• Check your body: After returning from a forest or similar area, carefully check your entire body for ticks, especially your armpits, inside and around your ears, groin, between your legs, behind your knees, and around your waist.

• The correct way to remove a tick if present:
• If you see a tick, do not crush it with your hands, touch it with fire, or apply nail polish or petroleum jelly.
• Grasp the tick's head with a pair of tweezers as close to your skin as possible and pull it straight up slowly and steadily. Do not twist.
• After removing the tick, clean the wound thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub. Wash your hands thoroughly.