Infekcije koje se prenose ubodom krpelja

Abstract

Ticks are arthropods from the class Arachnida, related to spiders and mites. They can be found in a wide range of terrestrial ecosystems and are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of all vertebrates except fish. They cannot reproduce at high altitudes and latitudes, and they are inactive during the winter. Ticks often live in symbiosis with bacteria such as Francisella spp. and Coxiella spp. They go through four developmental stages, with nymphs and adults being the most significant in the context of vectors for human pathogens. In Serbia, several species of ticks have been detected, including Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes hexagonus, Dermacentor reticulatus, Dermacentor marginatus, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Haemaphysalis punctata, Haemaphysalis concinna, and Hyalomma marginatum. The most medically significant species is the common tick (I. ricinus), which can transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, relapsing fever, babesiosis, tick-borne encephalitis, and orbivirus infections. Lyme disease, the most common vector-borne illness in the Northern Hemisphere, affects hundreds of thousands of people annually. Other significant diseases transmitted by ticks include tularemia, TIBOLA (Tick-borne Lymphadenopathy), Mediterranean spotted fever and Mediterranean spotted fever-like illnesses, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and Neoehrlichia mikurensis infection. The highest risk of complications is seen in patients who are hypoor asplenic, as well as immunosuppressed individuals. It is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for tick-borne diseases in all patients presenting with a rash, hepatosplenomegaly, neurological deficits, headache, and/or a reduced peripheral blood cell count.