Ticks are most prevalent in South Africa during the warmer months of the year, and Netcare Travel Clinics urges travellers, international visitors, hikers, campers and farmers to be vigilant of potentially debilitating and serious tick-borne diseases at this time of the year.
Ticks are most prevalent in South Africa during the warmer months of the year, and Netcare Travel Clinics urges travellers, international visitors, hikers, campers and farmers to be vigilant of potentially debilitating and serious tick-borne diseases at this time of the year.
Dr Pete Vincent of the Netcare Travel Clinics and Medicross Family Medical and Dental Centres, Tokai, warns that tick-borne diseases, such as spotted fever rickettsiosis, commonly known as tick bite fever, and the more dangerous Crimean-Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), occur more commonly on the southern African sub-continent between November and April every year.
“Taking precautions, including checking yourself for, and removing, ticks daily after having been potentially exposed to them, greatly decreases the chances of becoming infected with such tick borne diseases,” he said.
“While the occurrence of CCHF in South Africa is rare, the same can unfortunately not be said of common African tick bite fever,” states Dr Vincent. “African tick bite fever can occur around the country and sub-continent, but in SA it is endemic in areas such as the Free State, Northern Cape, Eastern Cape and the Kruger National Park. It is, in addition, found on the East Coast of South Africa throughout the year, and is one of the most commonly reported infections among international visitors.”
“The National Institute of Communicable Diseases [NICD] has reported that a number of Johannesburg residents have presented with mild febrile illness with rash in recent weeks, which may be as a result of tick bite fever, although the cause of these infections is currently being investigated.”
According to Vincent, the severity of tick bite fever can vary widely, and if it is not treated promptly with antibiotics can be an unpleasant illness, causing high fevers, muscle pain and severe headaches, and can lay a sufferer low for two weeks or more.
“It is essential to see your doctor if you have been bitten by a tick and start developing symptoms such as fever, headache and rash. Early treatment with a tetracycline antibiotic should resolve the illness early and prevent further possible complications.
“In January, the NICD has confirmed two cases of CCHF, which is usually tick-borne and can be life-threatening, in farmers from the Western and Northern Cape,” said Vincent. “The risk of travellers getting the CCHF infection is extremely low, however. CCHF is generally seen in people who come into regular contact with livestock in endemic areas such as the Free State and Northern Cape.”
