What will happen if a tick remains in the body? - briefly
An attached tick can feed for several days, raising the likelihood of transmitting infections such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, or Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Prolonged attachment may also cause localized skin irritation, redness, or an ulcerated bite site.
What will happen if a tick remains in the body? - in detail
A tick that stays attached after the feeding period can cause several medical problems.
During the first 24 hours the parasite generally does not transmit pathogens, but once it has been attached for longer than 48 hours the likelihood of infection rises sharply. Bacterial agents such as Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis), and Rickettsia species (spotted fever) may be introduced into the bloodstream. Viral agents, including Powassan virus, have also been documented after prolonged attachment.
Local tissue response includes:
- erythema and swelling at the bite site;
- a necrotic lesion if the tick’s mouthparts remain embedded after removal;
- formation of a granuloma or foreign‑body reaction when the tick dies in situ.
Systemic manifestations can develop weeks after the bite:
- fever, chills, headache, and muscle aches (early Lyme disease);
- joint pain and swelling (Lyme arthritis);
- neurological signs such as facial palsy or meningitis (late Lyme disease);
- severe allergic reaction or anaphylaxis in sensitized individuals;
- tick‑induced paralysis caused by neurotoxins secreted in the saliva, leading to progressive muscle weakness and potentially respiratory failure if untreated.
If the arthropod is not removed promptly, the risk of secondary bacterial infection rises, especially when the skin barrier is broken. In rare cases, the retained mouthparts act as a nidus for chronic inflammation, requiring surgical excision.
Effective management includes:
- Immediate removal with fine‑point tweezers, grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight upward.
- Cleaning the site with antiseptic.
- Monitoring for signs of infection or systemic illness for up to 30 days.
- Initiating antibiotic therapy (e.g., doxycycline) when clinical criteria for Lyme disease or other tick‑borne infections are met.
- Seeking urgent care if neurological symptoms, severe headache, or respiratory difficulty appear, as these may signal tick paralysis or advanced infection.
Prompt extraction minimizes pathogen transmission and prevents the cascade of local and systemic complications associated with a retained tick.