| Disease/Syndrome |
Tick paralysis |
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| Category |
Acute Poison |
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| Acute/Chronic |
Acute-Moderate |
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| Biomedical References |
Search PubMed |
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| Comments |
The toxin-secreting Ixodidae ticks can cause ascending paralysis if allowed to remain attached to the skin for several days. The paralysis is reversible upon removal of the tick. [Merck Manual, p. 2650] Symptoms may resemble those of Guillain-Barre syndrome, botulism, and myasthenia gravis. In one recent case, the patient had ataxia, absent tendon reflexes, drooling, and tachypnea. [MMWR 4/26/96] The reaction occurs after prolonged tick attachment of 5-7 days or longer. The paralysis caused by the Australian tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is particularly severe, and a hyperimmune serum has been developed to treat paralysis caused by this tick but not other species. [PPID, p. 3314] |
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| Latency/Incubation |
Several days; |
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| Diagnostic |
Clinical |
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| ICD-9 Code |
989.5 |
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| Reference Link |
PubMed - Tick paralysis: 33 human cases in Washington State, 1946-1996 |
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| Related Information in Haz-Map |
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| Symptoms/Findings |
Symptoms/Findings associated with this disease:
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| Job Tasks |
High risk job tasks associated with this disease:
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| Agents |
Hazardous agents that cause the occupational disease:
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