Клещевой энцефалит может переноситься человеком в especially severe form, which even leads to death. In the early stages, it is similar to other dangerous diseases, such as acute poliomyelitis, typhus, tick-borne borreliosis, etc. That is why it is important to make a diagnosis that will show the real cause of the symptoms that have appeared. In this article we will understand how and when to take a blood test for borreliosis.
Borreliosis and viral encephalitis are noted in someand the same regions, arise after the tick is sucked in spring and summer, so they must be differentiated. If an insect is found on the body, an analysis of the biomaterial should be carried out immediately, and if the result is positive, in the next four days after the bite, take urgent measures by contacting a physician or an infectious disease specialist.
Encephalitis and borreliosis (Lyme disease) are transmittedticks on the territory of Russia. These infectious diseases are often confused, although they are radically different. Tick-borne encephalitis has a viral nature, while borreliosis is bacterial. Both diseases affect the central nervous system, but Lyme disease also affects the joints, heart muscle and skin. For encephalitis is characterized by an acute form, for borreliosis, the same - a chronic course. Developing, each disease gets pronounced differential symptoms. To determine the infection will help blood test for encephalitis and borreliosis.
In Russia, between six and eight thousand new cases of borreliosis are recorded every year, and encephalitis is less common - five to six thousand diagnoses.
Tick-borne encephalitis is caused by a virus of the familyflaviviruses (a group of arboviruses), is carried by the bites of the European forest and taiga ticks, although there are also cases of infection through the gastrointestinal tract due to the consumption of raw milk of infected animals (sheep, cows, goats). As the virus develops, slow, but often irreversible, changes occur in the vessels and lining of the brain.
At first, the disease is not symptomatically expressed, but toThe third week there is an increase in temperature, muscle and headaches, loss of appetite, nausea. A quarter of patients feel these symptoms even later, after a month. Over time, the pain becomes stronger, there are paralysis of the limbs, convulsions, loss of consciousness, disorientation, coma. If there is no help, death can occur. A blood test will help identify the disease in a timely manner.
There are several forms of tick-borne encephalitis, depending on different symptoms. The heaviest are recorded in the Far East, lungs prevail in the central European part of Russia.
Вылечить энцефалит возможно, но для этого A large number of drugs and methods are required. In this case, there is no specific type of treatment leading to recovery. Therapy is carried out exclusively in the hospital with the appointment of pathogenetic, etiotropic and symptomatic drugs. Drugs that possess anti-inflammatory, immunological, antiviral, hormonal, anticonvulsant, neuroprotective, psychotropic, and other actions are also prescribed in complex. After this, restorative treatment is prescribed: it is physiotherapy, psycho-and occupational therapy, speech therapy, etc. For several years, there may be seizures, symptoms of muscle atrophy, cognitive degradation and other disorders of the CNS. Sometimes the consequences can remain for the rest of your life.
It is worth noting that the most effective protectionagainst encephalitis - these are human's own antibodies, which the body produces after vaccine administration in the autumn, six months before the start of the dangerous season. Immunizations that promote rapid prevention are also prescribed everywhere: three doses within twenty one days, giving up to 97% guarantee of protection.
A blood test for borreliosis is important because there is no vaccine for the disease. In addition, a person does not appear to have sustained immunity to the bacteria, he can get sick again.
Lyme disease occurs in a person afteringestion of borrelia bacteria. It is immediately attacked by the immune system and moves to where the immune system cannot cope - in the heart, nerve tissue, tendons. For this reason, unlike encephalitis, the acute stage is not observed, and the disease becomes protracted. The main distinguishing symptom is a migrating ring-shaped erythema, having the appearance of a bright red spot at the site of the bite, which gradually grows in size and forms a ring. The skin flakes and necrosis appears. Erythema may also appear on other parts of the body, which are allergic in nature. In some forms of the disease, they may be absent altogether, however, intoxication and fever appear, which makes borreliosis almost indistinguishable from encephalitis. A blood test for tick-borne borreliosis and encephalitis will help to differentiate the disease.
After a month, symptoms of CNS damage appear:partial limb paralysis, speech disorders, mood swings. Meningitis may develop. If no action is taken, arthritis, hearing loss, neuralgia, disorientation, severe speech defects begin to progress in a year.
Carriers of the class of bacteria to whichbelongs to borrelia, - the same ticks that are carriers of encephalitis. The causative agent of Lyme disease lives in the digestive system of the tick, and not in its saliva, therefore it does not spread in the human body immediately. With the timely removal of the insect there is a chance not to get infected.
Borreliosis is treated, the main thing is to avoid the transition to the chronic stage. The patient is prescribed medication, the correct reception of which guarantees recovery.
Lyme disease is not transmitted from person to person, but there is a chance of transmission from a pregnant woman to a fetus. That is why this disease is sometimes diagnosed in newborns.
Blood test for borreliosis and encephalitiscan be taken in infectious disease hospitals, commercial and virological laboratories. The main thing is that the clinic conducted parallel studies of both diseases.
A study of venous blood (taken from the cubital vein) and removed from the body of the tick.
Антитела к вирусу вырабатываются только через 10-14 days, so there is no point in testing before this date. By the end of the month and for half a year, the peak of concentration is kept. The insect must be brought immediately after removal, and if the patient is infected, the patient should be seen by the doctor, and after two weeks to pass the analysis (it is worth noting that it does not require special preparation, you only need not to eat four hours before the visit to the laboratory .
IgG antibody test results are given inquantitative expression with the appearance in deciphering the concept of "titer" - an indicator of the concentration of antibodies (for example, 1: 100, 1: 400, etc.). If more than 1: 100, then the immune system responds. If it is less, then it shows the absence of a reaction, and when a virus penetrates, the person will definitely get sick. The index of a healthy organism is from 200 to 400.
Blood test results on IgM antibodies havequalitative character: detected or not. If there are IgG and no IgM in the blood, such results are likely to indicate vaccination. And the presence of both indicators indicates infection. Repeated research needs to be repeated in a week for an establishment of the exact diagnosis.
Увидеть боррелии довольно трудно, поэтому indirect methods are used. The most acceptable way - serological tests. Venous blood is taken and tested for the presence of antibodies to the spirochete. As a supplement, synovial and cerebrospinal fluids are also examined. The tick should be brought to the laboratory immediately after removal from the body, placing it in a container for biomaterials or in a test tube.
There are several methods of blood analysis for borreliosis. Decoding is presented below.
Since borreliosis does not develop immediately,need to be tested in certain periods. In a hurry, a false negative result can be obtained. The peak of antibody concentration is noted after three months. Before you take a blood test for encephalitis and borreliosis, for four hours you should stop smoking and not to eat.
Test results can be either qualitative (“detected” or “not detected”) or quantitative, that is, indicating the amount of antibodies.
The decoding of the values is as follows:
The decoding is as follows:
A Western blot study shows stripes on the membrane, indicating the presence or absence of antibodies to certain antigens. The method is effective as an extra.
Borreliosis cannot be diagnosed based onone analysis, as the process of its development is too complicated. It is also necessary in parallel to pass tests for encephalitis, as ticks can be carriers of both diseases.
In the article we examined how blood tests for tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis are given and decrypted.