Tick bite - wait and see?

[Wuvu2]

I was bitten by a tick and manage to pull it out before it swelled with blood. I've captured the little monster in a plastic bag and it's crawling around so I think I got it it all. He looks just like the photo I found by googling "Thailand tick".

Although not specifically about ticks in Thailand most of the websites I've seen say if it hasn't had a full blood meal I probably don't have anything to worry about. If you've had experience with this specific species of tick in Thailand - can I just wait and see, or do I need to see a doctor to get some antibiotics to prevent Lyme or other ailments?

Before anyone else says it I'll beat you to the punchline. Yes of course it was most likely a Burmese tick that did the evil deed and not a Thai national .

Thanks,

W

[norfolkandchance]

Get checked out. with a Doctor. I had Lyme's 5 years ago. Not nice.

[worgeordie]

I dont know if ticks are like Mozzies or fleas,but i suspect they do the same,

when they first bite you,(to put it simply),they spit a compound into your

body which makes the blood flow more readily,so if it has been attached

to you it will have already injected fluid into you,and if the tick is carrying

any infections,you may already be infected.

regards Worgeordie

[Sheryl]

Wait and see. No doctor is going to prescribe anything now. Lyme disease is not thought to be prevalent in Thailand.

[BangkokKen]

Never EVER pull a tick without proper tick puller.

its likely that you broke the sting and if the tick is lymed you will get it.

Look for symptoms; body aches, flu like, bull eye rash etc

[peeba7]

To remove ticks, use Vaseline, it will suffocate them and they will release their bite.

[cooked]

Never EVER pull a tick without proper tick puller.

its likely that you broke the sting and if the tick is lymed you will get it.

Look for symptoms; body aches, flu like, bull eye rash etc

I get bitten now and again by ticks, my wife seems to be more susceptible than me. We don't worry too much about it. Leave a tick overnight until you can drive maybe 20 Km to buy a tick puller, whatever that is, in Thailand? Most likely you will have to order one on Ebay and wait three weeks. Just pull it out with tweezers, and don't worry about the sting remaining in the skin as they don't have a sting. I have pulled literally thousands of ticks off our dogs over the years and none of them died. Larger ticks will take your blood and remain in place until they eventually regurgitate the contents of their digestive system into you and start again, that is where infection takes place.

[meatboy]

the only bites i have had are from the little brown dog tick.they do get soar after awhile,but my answer to cure this is a hot cup on it,as hot as you can stand.

[peeba7]

I have never seen such small ticks as the ones inThailand or SEA. They can be hard to spot.

[cooked]

I have never seen such small ticks as the ones inThailand or SEA. They can be hard to spot.

With respect, you haven't been looking very well. I was completely unaware of the presence of ticks around our house until I saw a couple of big ones on the wall near our bed. They hatch from eggs, of course, which are tiny, and moult their way up to being an egg laying adult. If you are seeing many tiny ticks then you have a batch hatching out somewhere, 5 to 20 000 in a batch and they can take years to finish hatching.