DOCTORS pulled a tick from a man’s bottom after he wiped it using a leaf in the countryside.
The 72-year-old, from China, turned up to A&E complaining that he’d been experiencing pain in the region for the last five days.
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Medics found that he had been bitten by a tick, which had lodged itself “firmly” into the perianal skin.
Using fine forceps, they removed the “dark-brown, wingless, alive parasite with four pairs of slim legs”.
The patient, a farmer who lived with his partner, told hospital staff that he had wiped his anus with grass leaves after going for a poo in the wild.
He reported no medical history of contact with animals or recent travel.
Lab tests, including blood, urine and stool samples, all came back normal, and there was no evidence of other skin lesions.
Doctors concluded he had a hard tick bite, and removed the creature and the surrounding tissue.
Skin-crawling footage shows it still alive shortly after being extracted.
The man was told to apply a topical ointment twice a day for three days, and his symptoms had resolved by a follow-up appointment two weeks later.
Ticks are small, spider-like creatures that feed on the blood of birds and mammals – including humans.
They are usually found in grassy and wooded areas, and are most active between March and October, according to the NHS.
Tick bites aren’t usually painful, but they can cause a red lump to develop, which can trigger swelling, itchiness, blistering and bruising.
The animals can also carry and transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis, and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), which can be deadly.
If someone has been bitten by a tick and it is attached to the skin, you should try to remove it as soon as possible to avoid life-threatening complications, experts warn.
Contact your GP if you think you could have been bitten and you have a pink or red rash, a temperature of 38C or above, other flu-like symptoms such as a headache or joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes.
Writing in Clinical Case Reports, doctors at Nanjing Lishui People’s Hospital, who treated the man, said: “Tick-borne diseases have become the threats to the health of people worldwide, accounting for nearly 80 per cent patients with vector-borne diseases in the United States.
“Early diagnosis and proper treatment play a significant role in the management.
“Close contacts should be screened for delayed symptoms associated with tick-borne diseases.
“Untreated or delayed cases will result in life-threatening consequences.”
How to avoid tick bites and remove a tick safely
THERE are a few things you can do to lessen your likelihood of tick bites.
Firstly, try to cover as much of your skin as possible while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks.
You should also be using insect repellent containing DEET on your clothes and skin, and wearing light coloured clothing so you can spot a tick easily.
Also stick to paths where possible when you’re out walking.
But if you are bitten, you must remove a tick safely.
- Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it.
- Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water.
The chance of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell.
If either of these happen, make sure to see a GP so you can get treatment as soon a possible.
Source: NHS