Morshed Muhammad, Li Lisa, Lee Min-Kuang, Fernando Keerthi, Lo Teresa, Wong Quantine
1 Zoonotic Diseases and Emerging Pathogens Section, BC Centre of Disease Control Public Health Laboratory , Vancouver, Canada .
2 Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia , Vancouver, Canada .
Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2017 Dec;17(12):821-824. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2017.2168. Epub 2017 Oct 30.
Tick paralysis is a frequently overlooked severe disease characterized by bilateral ascending flaccid paralysis caused by a neurotoxin produced by feeding ticks. We aimed to characterize suspected tick paralysis cases documented at the BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) in British Columbia (BC) from 1993 to 2016 and reviewed prevention, diagnosis, and treatment considerations.
Demographic, geographic, and clinical data from test requisition forms for ticks submitted to the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory (PHL) from patients across BC between 1993 and 2016 for suspected human and animal tick paralysis were reviewed. Descriptive statistics were generated to characterize tick paralysis cases in BC, including tick species implicated, seasonality of disease, and regional differences.
From 1993 to 2016, there were 56 cases of suspected tick paralysis with at least one tick specimen submitted for testing at the BCCDC PHL. Humans and animals were involved in 43% and 57% of cases, respectively. The majority of cases involved a Dermacentor andersoni tick (48 cases or 86%) and occurred between the months of April and June (49 cases or 88%). Among known locations of tick acquisition, the Interior region of BC was disproportionately affected, with 25 cases (69%) of tick bites occurring in that area.
Tick paralysis is a rare condition in BC. The region of highest risk is the Interior, particularly during the spring and summer months. Increasing awareness of tick paralysis among healthcare workers and the general public is paramount to preventing morbidity and mortality from this rare disease.
蜱瘫痪是一种常被忽视的严重疾病，其特征为因蜱虫吸食时产生的神经毒素导致的双侧上行性弛缓性麻痹。我们旨在对1993年至2016年不列颠哥伦比亚省疾病控制中心（BCCDC）记录的疑似蜱瘫痪病例进行特征描述，并回顾预防、诊断和治疗方面的考虑因素。
回顾了1993年至2016年期间不列颠哥伦比亚省各地患者提交给BCCDC公共卫生实验室（PHL）的疑似人类和动物蜱瘫痪的蜱虫检测申请表中的人口统计学、地理和临床数据。生成描述性统计数据以描述不列颠哥伦比亚省的蜱瘫痪病例特征，包括涉及的蜱虫种类、疾病季节性和区域差异。
1993年至2016年期间，有56例疑似蜱瘫痪病例，至少有一个蜱虫标本提交给BCCDC PHL进行检测。人类和动物分别占病例的43%和57%。大多数病例涉及安德逊革蜱（48例，占86%），且发生在4月至6月之间（49例，占88%）。在已知的蜱虫叮咬地点中，不列颠哥伦比亚省内陆地区受到的影响尤为严重，该地区有25例（69%）蜱虫叮咬病例。
蜱瘫痪在不列颠哥伦比亚省是一种罕见疾病。风险最高的地区是内陆地区，尤其是在春季和夏季。提高医护人员和公众对蜱瘫痪的认识对于预防这种罕见疾病的发病和死亡至关重要。
