OBJECTIVES: Ticks are endemic to the eastern coastline of Australia. The aim of the present study is to describe the incidence of tick bites in such an area, the seasonal and geographical distribution, the incidence of anaphylaxis due to tick bite and its management. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed emergency presentations of patients with tick bites to Mona Vale Hospital on Sydney's Northern Beaches over a 2 year period from 1 January 2007 to 1 January 2009. We recorded the geographical and seasonal distribution of tick bites as well as the symptoms from tick bite and its emergency management. RESULTS: We report over 500 cases of tick bites presenting to a single New South Wales hospital over a 2 year period, of which 34 resulted in anaphylaxis. Cutaneous symptoms were the most common feature associated with anaphylaxis (32/34, 94%). Forty per cent (13/34) of patients with tick bite anaphylaxis had a history of allergy or previous anaphylaxis. Seventy-six per cent (26/34) of patients were administered adrenaline either prior to presenting or in the ED, while 97% (33/34) were treated with steroids. Fifty-three per cent were referred to an immunologist and only one-quarter were discharged with an adrenaline auto-injector. CONCLUSION: We report 34 cases of tick bite anaphylaxis over a 2 year period at a single hospital in a tick endemic area. The variation in the presenting symptoms and signs, as well as in management highlights the need for increased awareness for tick bite management in tick endemic areas.
OBJECTIVES: Ticks are endemic to the eastern coastline of Australia. The aim of the present study is to describe the incidence of tick bites in such an area, the seasonal and geographical distribution, the incidence of anaphylaxis due to tick bite and its management. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed emergency presentations of patients with tick bites to Mona Vale Hospital on Sydney's Northern Beaches over a 2 year period from 1 January 2007 to 1 January 2009. We recorded the geographical and seasonal distribution of tick bites as well as the symptoms from tick bite and its emergency management. RESULTS: We report over 500 cases of tick bites presenting to a single New South Wales hospital over a 2 year period, of which 34 resulted in anaphylaxis. Cutaneous symptoms were the most common feature associated with anaphylaxis (32/34, 94%). Forty per cent (13/34) of patients with tick bite anaphylaxis had a history of allergy or previous anaphylaxis. Seventy-six per cent (26/34) of patients were administered adrenaline either prior to presenting or in the ED, while 97% (33/34) were treated with steroids. Fifty-three per cent were referred to an immunologist and only one-quarter were discharged with an adrenaline auto-injector. CONCLUSION: We report 34 cases of tick bite anaphylaxis over a 2 year period at a single hospital in a tick endemic area. The variation in the presenting symptoms and signs, as well as in management highlights the need for increased awareness for tick bite management in tick endemic areas.
Authors: Lourdes Mateos-Hernández; Margarita Villar; Angel Moral; Carmen García Rodríguez; Teresa Alfaya Arias; Verónica de la Osa; Francisco Feo Brito; Isabel G Fernández de Mera; Pilar Alberdi; Francisco Ruiz-Fons; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Agustín Estrada-Peña; José de la Fuente Journal: Oncotarget Date: 2017-03-28
Authors: Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Adnan Hodžić; Patricia Román-Carrasco; Lourdes Mateos-Hernández; Georg Gerhard Duscher; Deepak Kumar Sinha; Wolfgang Hemmer; Ines Swoboda; Agustín Estrada-Peña; José de la Fuente Journal: Front Immunol Date: 2019-05-31 Impact factor: 7.561
Authors: Patricia Román-Carrasco; Wolfgang Hemmer; Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz; Adnan Hodžić; José de la Fuente; Ines Swoboda Journal: Front Allergy Date: 2021-12-16