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Tick paralysis
Tick paralysis is a loss of muscle function that results from a tick bite .
Tick bite
Insect bites and stings can cause an immediate skin reaction. The bite from fire ants and the sting from bees, wasps, and hornets are most often pai...
Causes
Hard-bodied and soft-bodied female ticks are believed to make a poison that can cause paralysis in children. Ticks attach to the skin to feed on blood. The poison enters the bloodstream during this feeding process.
Ticks
Ticks are bugs that can attach to you as you brush past bushes, plants, and grass. Once on you, ticks often move to a warm, moist place on your body...
Paralysis
Muscle function loss is when a muscle does not work or move normally. The medical term for complete loss of muscle function is paralysis.
The paralysis is ascending. That means it starts in the lower body and moves up.
Symptoms
Children with tick paralysis develop an unsteady gait followed several days later by weakness in the lower legs. This weakness gradually moves up to involve the upper limbs.
Unsteady gait
Walking abnormalities are unusual and uncontrollable walking patterns. They are usually due to diseases or injuries to the legs, feet, brain, spinal...
Paralysis may cause breathing difficulties , which may require the use of a breathing machine.
Breathing difficulties
Breathing difficulty may involve:Difficult breathingUncomfortable breathingFeeling like you are not getting enough air
The child may also have mild, flu-like symptoms (muscle aches, tiredness).
Exams and Tests
People can be exposed to ticks in many ways. For example, they may have gone on a camping trip, live in a tick-infested area, or have dogs or other animals that can pick up ticks. Often, the tick is found only after thoroughly searching a person's hair.
Finding a tick embedded in the skin and having the above symptoms confirms the diagnosis. No other testing is required.
Treatment
Removing the tick removes the source of the poison. Recovery is rapid after the tick is removed.
Outlook (Prognosis)
Full recovery is expected following the removal of the tick.
Possible Complications
Breathing difficulties can cause respiratory failure. When this happens, the body’s organs do not have enough oxygen to work well.
Respiratory
The words "respiratory" and "respiration" refer to the lungs and breathing.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
If your child suddenly becomes unsteady or weak, have the child examined right away. Breathing difficulties require emergency care.
Prevention
Use insect repellents and protective clothing when in tick-infested areas. Tuck pant legs into socks. Carefully check the skin and hair after being outside and remove any ticks you find.
If you find a tick on your child, write the information down and keep it for several months. Many tick-borne diseases do not show symptoms right away, and you may forget the incident by the time your child becomes sick with a tick-borne disease.
References
Bolgiano EB, Sexton J. Tick-borne illnesses. In: Marx JA, Hockberger RS, Walls RM, et al, eds. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2013:chap 134.
Diaz JH. Ticks, including tick paralysis. In: Mandell GL, Bennett JE, Dolin R, eds. Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2014:chap 298.
Review Date: 4/21/2015
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
