Ticks

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Funny this thread should be up now my youngest daughter has got a ''Bulls eye rash'' and seeing the doc in a few minutes as its a symptom of Lymes Disease that is over here in QLD

 

Throw everything you've got at it! Urgent antibiotics, diet, sleep, the works.

[jules]

Yep, definitely keep an eye on her. The doctor should take tests and send them off to be tested in a lab, although Europe test more thoroughly as the tests we do don't always show the Lyme disease. If anyone does have it, it gets progressively worse month by month starting with a rash, not necessary where the tick was, then flu like symptoms then you can feel totally fine for a few weeks then it comes back again and can cause all sorts of problems. Not wanting to be a scaremonger, but it can be very serious.

[Steve Bullman]

How did it go Lee?

[Lee Winger]

Thanks guys the quack came out and thinks its only an insect bite, however its not itchy like a mozzie or painful like and ant bite, we've got to keep an eye on it he said. I'll get her up our usual doc.

 

The mark was definitely a bulls eye but now it looks more like an insect bite, a tick killed a friend's dog here

Edited July 13, 2015 by Lee Winger

[Two Acres]

Good news Lee

 

From whats been said it seems to me that if you have a tick bite, and then get a rash, its probably best to suggest to the Doc that it could be Lymes. That might be the best way to catch it early.

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

quack came out and thinks its only an insect bite,

 

Ignore him/her. Doc's well known to have completely the wrong attitude about it. One needs to be sued to kick the whole diagnosis system up the bum.

[Lee Winger]

Ignore him/her. Doc's well known to have completely the wrong attitude about it. One needs to be sued to kick the whole diagnosis system up the bum.

 

 

Thanks mate we're definitely going to get my daughter tested

[TimberCutterDartmoor]

Thanks mate we're definitely going to get my daughter tested

 

Test results can take variable times to manifest I think. Just the potential risk makes it paramount to do what you can; not paranoia.

 

From the following:

 

Lyme disease (Borreliosis) | BADA UK

 

11. Testing

 

In the UK, laboratory tests for Borreliosis consist of a two-tier system which detects antibodies to Borreliae. The first of these is an Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). This test superseded the Immunoflorescence Assay (IFA) and is the most commonly used serodiagnostic screening method for Lyme borreliosis.

 

If the ELISA is positive or equivocal, the sample is then tested with an Immunoblot, also known as a Western blot. Western blot, ELISA and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) can be performed on blood or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is obtained via a lumbar puncture. However, antigen capture in CSF can be extremely elusive; reportedly CSF yields positive results in only 10-30% of patients cultured. Therefore, the diagnosis of neurologic Borrelial infection should not be excluded solely on the basis of a negative CSF antibody analysis.

 

The detection of Borrelia DNA using PCR can also be performed. This type of molecular test can be useful on joint fluids in cases of suspected Lyme arthritis, and on biopsies from suspected skin infection. It isn’t normally used for blood samples as Borreliae are rarely present in the bloodsteam after the early stage of infection. PCR isn’t favoured for CSF.

 

All methods of testing have their limitations and can produce both false-positive and false-negative reactions. Antibodies may not be present for the first few weeks after infection so a negative test does not exclude infection. A second sample taken 2-4 weeks later may then go on to show seroconversion. In late stage disease, patients can be seronegative although this is considered a rare phenomenon.

 

False-positive results can occur if the patient has antibodies to Bb without having a current infection (e.g. people who are occupationally exposed, such as foresters, or people who are recreationally exposed to tick bites).

 

The significance of any result, negative or positive, should be interpreted carefully by clinicians in the overall context of a patient’s clinical findings and tick-exposure history. Other conditions such as glandular fever, syphilis, or certain neurological illness can also trigger a false-positive reaction.

 

Other techniques for testing are in development but their clinical usefulness are the subject of debate and have yet to be adequately established.

[Wood wasp]

Phones4U billionaire John Caudwell 'devastated' after whole family diagnosed with Lyme disease - Telegraph

[Isabelle68]

I,m retiring!