The infectious disease specialist gave advice on how to help with a tick bite

Vladislav Zhemchugov, a general practitioner, immunologist, MD, specialist in especially dangerous infections, told us what to do with a tick bite.

In conversation with aif.ru On Wednesday, May 21, the specialist noted that the easiest way to remove a tick is to lubricate it with something like diesel oil or kerosene.

"Ticks breathe through their skin, so the oily liquid blocks their ability to breathe, and they take out their own piercing-sucking apparatus," Zhemchugov noted.

According to him, it is impossible to pull out or unscrew the tick, since part of it may remain in the skin, which will lead to a large suppuration. You should not throw away the extracted tick: it should be taken to the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology or to the Rospotrebnadzor laboratory for analysis. If he shows the presence of encephalitis or borreliosis, you will have to consult the appropriate doctor. Timely treatment will help minimize the development of complications.

"About a year or two": the appearance of viral encephalitis was predicted in Moscow

Now ticks mainly carry borreliosis and spotted fever.

On May 20, Rospotrebnadzor reported that more than 2.5 million Russians have been vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis since the beginning of 2025. Since the beginning of the season, over 127.3 thousand people have applied to medical organizations with complaints of tick bites, the Moscow City News agency notes.

On May 19, internist and cardiologist Roxana Portnova spoke about complications after a tick bite. According to her, with tick-borne encephalitis, redness, swelling, itching and burning may appear at the bite site. The incubation period ranges from one to 35 days, often 7-12 days. 360.ru . The first symptoms of Lyme disease appear 3-30 days after a tick bite. At first, a spot appears on the skin, which gradually increases to 5-15 cm, it can cause itching and soreness. When the first symptoms appear, it is necessary to consult a doctor as soon as possible, writes RT.

On May 13, Vladislav Zhemchugov said that the main symptoms of encephalitis are high fever and severe headache. Then the pain "begins in all peripheral nerves, spinal cord, and so on," according to the NSN.

At the end of April Life.ru He wrote that in 2025, as in previous years with a warming trend, the tick activity season started early. The duration of the season may also increase, including late autumn, up to the establishment of stable snow cover.

Also in April, Vladimir Neronov, MD, told Izvestia about the main dangers of ticks and effective ways to protect against them. According to the expert, once on clothes, the parasite looks for a place to bite, preferring the head, neck, the area behind the ears and the bends of the limbs.

Previously Pravda.Ru reminded that when walking in nature, you should wear long-sleeved clothes, tuck your pants into your socks, and use tick repellents. It is better to walk in places with mowed grass and cultivated areas.