Beware of ticks at outdoor events

Athletes who compete in outdoor events in Connecticut must be especially mindful of ticks that carry a variety of bacterial infections. Although unlike viral infections, these conditions can be treated with antibiotics. The key is to identify and treat them quickly to avoid permanent injury.

Ticks are insects that survive by biting and digesting the blood of domestic and wild animals. They also bite humans and in turn transmit diseases from the animal to the human. As the population of potentially diseased animals has increased, so has the frequency of these illnesses.

Lyme disease is the most familiar and most common tick-borne bacterial infection. There are approximately 300,000 cases each year, most of these in the northeast.

Borrelia is the infectious agent in Lyme disease. Early symptoms are flu-like with joint pain, fever and a typical rash. If untreated the infection can spread to the nervous system. If infection is suspected, treatment with antibiotics within 72 hours of the tick bite can avoid Lyme disease entirely.

“Babesiosis and Anaplasmosis are other tick-borne diseases now being recognized more often,” reports Dr. Michael Rajkumar, a local infectious disease specialist. “These infections can cause severe illness and are sometimes fatal in certain populations such as infants, patients with immunodeficiencies and patients with certain blood disorders.“

Symptoms of Babesiosis are similar to Lyme disease but a persistent high fever and chills are an early hallmark. Treatment includes antibiotics combined with anti-malarial drugs.

Anaplasmosis, previously known as Ehrlichiosis, presents with symptoms one to two weeks after infection with a flu-like illness that can also lead to headaches and confusion if untreated.

Careful self-examination after competing or working out in tick-infested areas can be lifesaving.

Dr. Alessi is a neurologist in Norwich and serves as an on-air contributor for ESPN. He is director of UConn NeuroSport and can be reached at agalessi@uchc.edu