Deadly fever: two people died from tick bites in Russia
Two people died after being bitten by ticks in the Novosibirsk region. One of them was diagnosed with encephalitis, the other with rickettsiosis, and until recently, this disease rarely led to serious consequences. Doctors note that the disease has become more aggressive, and urge Russians to be more careful. Izvestia tells you how to protect yourself from tick-borne infections and how to recognize the symptoms after a bite.
The fatal bite
Russia has recorded the first deaths from tick bites this year. At first, a man from Novosibirsk became the victim of the arachnid, the regional Ministry of Health said. He was diagnosed with encephalitis. The second resident of Novosibirsk died due to rickettsiosis, although this disease rarely leads to serious consequences.
The man himself considered the infection to be a common cold and did not seek help for a week. As a rule, rickettsiosis is accompanied by fever, muscle and headache, rash. In the place where the tick has stuck, a scab usually forms — a dense crust with inflammation and a necrotic area in the center — this is a characteristic sign of the disease.
According to doctors, the fatal disease could be caused by the species Rickettsia sibirica, which is the main causative agent of Siberian tick—borne typhus. Infection occurs when an infected member of the Ixodid tick family is bitten.
— Previously, the disease was easier, but today we see that the situation has changed. The bacteria have mutated and become more aggressive, and many people, on the contrary, suffer from weakened immune systems due to illness and stress. Plus, ticks can carry several infections at once: a combination of rickettsiosis and encephalitis can be fatal," explained Vladimir Neronov, MD, Infectious diseases specialist at JSC "Medicine" (Academician Roitberg Clinic).
In Russia, Siberian tick-borne typhus is prevalent mainly in Western and Eastern Siberia, Altai and the Krasnoyarsk Territory. The disease is not new to the region — from 2.5 thousand to 4 thousand cases are registered annually, the peak of infections usually occurs in May-June.
Izvestia sent a request to the Ministry of Health of the Novosibirsk Region and the regional Department of Rospotrebnadzor.
Tick-borne infections
Encephalitis is still the most dangerous infection carried by ticks, Vera Serezhina, an infectious disease specialist at the LabQuest medical company, tells Izvestia. In severe cases, it can cause permanent damage to the nervous system and death. Borreliosis (Lyme disease), anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis and tularemia are also a serious threat. Infections are especially severe with combined infection, when one tick transmits several pathogens at once.
Encephalitic ticks are most often found in the Urals, the Far East, and Eastern and Western Siberia. At the same time, there are endemic regions in central Russia — these are the Ivanovo, Yaroslavl and Kostroma regions. The appearance of the disease has already been predicted in Moscow and the Moscow region — according to scientists, this can happen within one to two years due to the migration of animals and arachnids.
According to Labquest statistics for June 2025, of the 100% of infected ticks studied, 18.3% were carriers of rickettsia (pathogens of tick-borne spotted fever), 17.7% — borreliosis (Lyme disease), 2.7% — granulocytic anaplasmosis, and 0.5% — monocytic ehrlichiosis. Last year, 34.9% of ticks suffered from borreliosis, 19.64% from rickettsia, and 2.93% from granulocytic anaplasmosis. In 2023, ticks also mainly carried borreliosis (24.77%), but individuals infected with encephalitis were also found, the figure was 0.02% of the total.
To protect against tick-borne encephalitis, doctors recommend getting vaccinated. Otherwise, infection can have serious consequences, such as paralysis, and then a person may remain disabled. At the same time, there is no vaccine against rickettsiosis, so it is better to avoid ticks or learn how to recognize the disease in order to start treatment immediately, says Ekaterina Demyanovskaya, an expert at Hemotest.
What is rickettsiosis?
Tick—borne spotted fever, or rickettsiosis, is a bacterial infection that is transmitted by ixodic ticks. Moreover, infection can occur not only through an adult, but also through larvae, which is especially dangerous: small ticks are more difficult to notice, the parasite can be accidentally crushed and infected. Another non—obvious path to the disease is the consumption of raw farm milk from an infected animal, Vera Serezhina explains.
According to her, there are 36 known species of rickettsia, 16 of which are dangerous to humans. In Moscow and the Moscow region, Rickettsia raoultii is the most common pathogen that can develop in the human body as early as 48 hours after a tick bite. The incubation period lasts about 12 days, and then active clinical manifestations begin: fever, fatigue, enlarged lymph nodes.
— The peculiarity of this particular fever is considered to be the absence of a rash and a characteristic bite mark, which further complicates the diagnosis: it seems to be a spotted fever, but there is no rash, — says Seryozhina.
In some regions of Russia, there are Rickettsia typhus — Rickettsia sibirica, which can also be found in Mongolia and northern China. Astrakhan spotted fever caused by Rickettsia conorii is sometimes recorded in the south of our country. This is a milder disease transmitted through dog tick bites. Imported cases of Mediterranean spotted fever and other less typical forms are possible near the borders.
At the same time, the doctor adds, there are also imported cases, for example Orientia tsutsugamushi, which is not endemic to Russia, but it is sometimes found among travelers who have returned from Asia. There have also been cases of O.chuto fever in recent years, which has been detected in tourists arriving from Dubai and Kenya.
Symptoms and treatment of rickettsiosis
According to the infectious disease specialist, the symptoms of rickettsiosis are not very specific: against the background of febrile fever with a temperature of 38-39 degrees and severe intoxication, a rash appears and lymph nodes enlarge. In a number of patients, the disease occurs in an erased form, similar to ARVI. In about 14% of patients, the disease is complicated by severe brain damage — encephalitis and meningitis.
— Rickettsias bypass the skin barriers and immediately enter the bloodstream, and then into the target organs. First of all, the skin, blood vessels, liver, spleen and central nervous system suffer," says Vera Serezhina.
If you start treatment prematurely or treat a person incorrectly, they may experience complications. Rickettsias can cause vasculitis, thrombosis, and vascular wall damage with hemorrhagic syndrome and shock. The infection is especially severe in the elderly, children and people with weakened immune systems, adds doctor Ekaterina Demyanovskaya.
— The good news is that rickettsiosis is treatable. Tetracycline antibiotics are the most effective. They can also be prescribed preventatively if a tick removed from a person is infected or if the person was in an endemic area. With early appointment, the prognosis is good, but the longer the start of therapy is delayed, the higher the risks," concludes Seryozhina.
Methods of protection
According to doctors, the main preventive measure for such diseases is to avoid tick bites. During the active season (spring-summer), it is important to wear closed light clothing and a hat, and use repellents. After walking, it is necessary to carefully examine the body, especially in places with thin skin — under the knees, in the armpits, on the neck. The found tick must be removed and taken to the laboratory: the study will help determine whether it was a carrier of rickettsias or other dangerous pathogens.
— You can pull out the tick yourself by unscrewing it with tweezers or thread. Then it is necessary to treat the wound with iodine and urgently consult a doctor. Even if there are no symptoms of the disease, he can prescribe preventive treatment," says infectious disease specialist Vladimir Neronov.
After sucking, it is important to monitor the symptoms — if there are any signs resembling the flu or acute respiratory viral infections (a sharp increase in body temperature, headache, muscle and joint pain, general weakness), and the bite site turns red, you should seek medical help as soon as possible, concludes Ekaterina Demyanovskaya.
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