Lyme disease
July 1, 2009 | 25,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Christoph Schmülling
I was "bitten" by a tick 10 days ago, which I immediately removed (about 6-8 hours after my run) and brought to my doctor for further examination the next day. He now informed me that the tick carries the Borrelia pathogen, however, it cannot be determined yet whether it has infected me - I should please watch out for signs such as redness around the bite or joint and muscle pain and then contact him. My question is: Can't something be done now or should I just stay "calm" and observe?
Thank you and best regards,
Ute K. 49 years old
Dear inquirer,
since the pathogens of Lyme disease can be found in the gut of the tick, transmission of Borrelia does not occur immediately after the tick bite, but only after a certain period of feeding (unlike TBE = tick-borne encephalitis, where the pathogen is "sitting" in the salivary glands and can be transmitted immediately). Most authors indicate this feeding time as "at least 12-48 hours", while some authors mention "at least 6-8 hours".
Since you removed the tick quite early, the chance of Borrelia transmission is very low, as long as you did it correctly, meaning without crushing the tick. Even if there was a transmission of secretions containing Borrelia, it does not automatically mean an infection.
Your question about whether something can be done now can be answered with "yes". In principle, it is possible to administer antibiotics to you, which would also be given in case of Lyme disease. This approach is not generally recommended in Germany, but is debatable, especially if the tick was proven to be a carrier of Borrelia. Ultimately, the risk of infection is weighed against the risk of (sometimes serious) antibiotic side effects.
If there is evidence of Borrelia in the tick and the maximum feeding time of the tick cannot be determined with certainty, I would tend towards antibiotic prophylaxis, if you have always tolerated antibiotics well and do not have any specific personal risks or contraindications for antibiotic treatment.
However, the relevant risk assessment for you personally should be discussed again with your family doctor, as they probably know you best medically.
I hope I was able to answer your question satisfactorily and alleviate your concerns.
Wishing you good health at all times,
Dr. med. Christoph Schmülling
