Whose child was bitten by a tick? - briefly
The child belonging to the Smith family was bitten by a tick.
Whose child was bitten by a tick? - in detail
The incident involved a seven‑year‑old girl, the daughter of Michael and Sarah Thompson, who was bitten by a tick while playing in the backyard of their suburban home in Madison, Wisconsin, on the afternoon of June 12. The family noticed a small, dark‑colored arachnid attached to the child’s left ankle after she returned from a game of catch. The parents removed the parasite with fine tweezers, grasping it close to the skin and pulling upward in a steady motion to avoid leaving mouthparts embedded.
Following removal, the Thompsons consulted their pediatrician, who conducted a physical examination and ordered a blood test to screen for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The test results returned negative, and the physician prescribed a short course of prophylactic doxycycline to reduce the risk of infection, citing the tick’s identification as an adult female Ixodes scapularis and the bite’s duration of approximately eight hours.
Key actions taken by the parents and medical staff included:
- Immediate removal of the tick with sterile tweezers.
- Documentation of the bite site with a photograph for medical records.
- Prompt medical evaluation within 24 hours.
- Blood testing for Lyme disease and other tick‑borne pathogens.
- Administration of a single dose of doxycycline (100 mg) as recommended by the Infectious Diseases Society of America for high‑risk exposures.
- Monitoring the child for fever, rash, or joint pain over the next three weeks.
The child experienced no adverse symptoms during the observation period and returned to normal activities without complications. The Thompsons implemented preventive measures to avoid future incidents:
- Regularly mowing and clearing tall grass around the property.
- Using EPA‑registered tick repellents on clothing and skin.
- Conducting daily tick checks after outdoor play.
- Installing a deer‑exclusion fence to reduce local tick populations.
The case illustrates the importance of rapid identification, proper removal technique, and immediate medical consultation when a minor is bitten by a tick, especially in regions where Lyme disease is endemic.