TICK bite fever is a constant feature on the South African medical landscape according to a journal article written by associate professor John Frean of the National Institute for Communicable Diseases. Tick bite fever is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks that manifests through a range of symptoms including fever, headache, malaise and a skin rash.
Depending on the strain of tick bite fever, the severity of the disease may vary.
The incubation period for tick bite fever is five to seven days and typical symptoms to look out for include severe headaches, fever as well as a black mark or eschar at the site of the bite. The eschar is usually 2-5mm in diameter and looks like a small ulcer with a black centre. Eschars could have enlarged lymph nodes nearby. There can be single or multiple eschars and sometimes are very difficult to find.
Tick bite fever can be treated with antibiotics such as doxycycline.
The best way to prevent tick bite fever is to avoid being bitten by ticks. Wearing long sleeved shirts and long trousers when hiking or outdoors and using insect repellent may help. There is no vaccine against the disease.
Be sure to consult a doctor if you suspect that you might have been bitten by a tick.
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