When is immunoglobulin administered for a tick bite? - briefly
Immunoglobulin is not routinely given after a tick bite; it is reserved for severe hypersensitivity reactions or when rabies post‑exposure prophylaxis is required because the tick is suspected of transmitting rabies. In other cases, management relies on wound care and appropriate antibiotics.
When is immunoglobulin administered for a tick bite? - in detail
Immunoglobulin therapy is considered only under specific risk conditions associated with a tick bite. Routine tick bites that may transmit Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or other bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics, not with antibody preparations.
Indications for antibody administration
- Rabies exposure – if a tick has fed on a confirmed or probable rabid animal and the bite is deemed a potential rabies inoculation. Human rabies immunoglobulin (HRIG) is given as part of post‑exposure prophylaxis.
- Severe hypersensitivity – rare cases where a tick bite triggers anaphylaxis or a life‑threatening immune reaction. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) may be used to modulate the immune response.
Timing
- HRIG must be administered as soon as possible after the exposure, ideally within the first 24 hours and no later than 7 days from the bite. The dose is calculated by body weight and infiltrated around the wound, with the remainder given intramuscularly in a distant site.
- IVIG for acute allergic reactions is given immediately after the onset of systemic symptoms, typically within hours of the reaction’s recognition.
Contraindications
- Tick‑borne bacterial infections (e.g., Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis) – immunoglobulin provides no therapeutic benefit.
- Tick‑borne viral diseases such as tick‑borne encephalitis – vaccination, not passive antibody transfer, is the recommended preventive measure.
In summary, passive immunoglobulin is reserved for high‑risk rabies exposure or emergency management of severe immune reactions, administered promptly after the bite and not as a routine treatment for most tick‑borne illnesses.