Evaluation of tick bites according to anatomical regions on humans in the light of the studies in Turkey

Abstract

ÖZETKeneler ve kene kaynaklı hastalıklar dünya çapında büyük bir öneme sahiptir ve keneler kan emerek ve aynı zamanda protozoon, bakteriyel, riketsiyal, spiroketal ve viral etkenleri naklederek hayvan ve insan sağlığını etkilemektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Türkiye'de insanlarda kene tutunma vakalarını anatomik bölgelere göre geçmişe dönük olarak değerlendirmektir. 4413 kene tutunma vakasının taranması sonrası, birçok tutunmanın sırasıyla alt ve üst ekstremiteler, kranium-servikal bölge, toraks-abdomen ve genital-inguinal bölgelerinde ve aynı zamanda daha az olarak konjonktiva, göz kapağı ve dış kulak yolunda görüldüğü gösterilmiştir. Kenelerin insanların bazı vücut bölgelerini diğer bölgelerine kıyasla tutunmak için daha sık tercih etmesinden dolayı, ekstremiteler, kranium-servikal bölge, toraks-abdomen ve genitalinguinal gibi bazı vücut kısımlarının endemik bölgelerde öncelikli olarak muayene edilmesi önerilmektedir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Kene, Tutunma, Anatomik bölge, Türkiye SUMMARYTicks and tick-borne diseases have a great importance worldwide and they affect animal and human health by sucking blood and also transmitting protozoan, bacterial, rickettsial, spirochethal and viral agents. The purpose of this study is to evaluate tick bite cases on humans with respect to anatomical regions retrospectively in Turkey. After screened 4413 tick bite cases, it was shown that most of bites were seen on lower and upper extremities, cranium-cervical region, thorax-abdomen and regio genitalia-inguinalis respectively, and also conjunctiva, palpebra and meatus acusticus externus are the regions of tick bite cases were seen less. Since ticks prefer frequently some of the body regions for attachment comparing to other regions on humans, it is suggested that some body parts like extremities, craniumcervical region, thorax-abdomen and regio genitalia-inguinalis should examine primarily in endemic areas.

Exposure to ticks and undertaking Lyme borreliosis prevention activities among students from Poland and Slovakia

“…In the studies, the most often declared sites of tick bites among adults were the limbs, especially the lower limbs [12,13,14,15,16,17]. Among the surveyed students, the most frequently reported sites of tick bites were also the lower limbs (46.0%).…”

Tick exposure and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies among hunters and other individuals exposed to vector ticks in eastern Poland

“…Only 37.1% of the respondents exposed to contact with ticks through other activities reported this site of tick bites. Tick bites on the abdomen are specific to hunters, as the extremities, in particular the legs, are usually the most commonly reported body region bitten by ticks [1,12,15,20,22,23]. In the studies among adolescents, performed in the analysed region (northern part of Lublin Province), tick bites on the abdomen and on the legs were declared by 34.4% and 59.4% of respondents, respectively [15].…”