Giza: Four children contact tick paralysis in first report of illness from Egypt

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Published Date: 2012-06-10 16:12:37
Subject: PRO/AH/EDR> Tick paralysis, human - Egypt (Giza)
Archive Number: 20120610.1163401

TICK PARALYSIS, HUMAN - EGYPT (GIZA)
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Date: Sat, 09 Jun 2012
Source: Mosabah AA, Morsy TA. Tick paralysis: first zoonosis record in Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 2012; 42: 71-8.


Tick paralysis: first record in Egypt
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Tick paralysis caused by the secretion of toxin with saliva while taking a blood meal is an important veterinary disease, but is rare in humans. Although it has certain geographical predilections, it exists worldwide. Tick paralysis was demonstrated for the first time in Egypt among four children living in rural area at Giza Governorate.

The clinical pictures were confused with rabies; myasthensia gravis; botulism; diphtheritic polyneuropathy encountered in rural areas. The recovery of tick infesting the four little children and negative clinical and laboratory data of all diseases denoted tick paralysis.

The encountered ticks infesting their animals were _Rhipicephalus sanguineus_ on dogs, _Hyalomma dromedarii_ on camels and _Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum_ and _Haemaphysalis_ sp. on goats. The case was recognized as first record of tick paralysis in Egypt.

reported by:
Shamsudeen Fagbo


[Tick paralysis is due to toxins in the saliva of the tick and affects humans and animals worldwide. Most cases occur in Australia and North America. There is no specific treatment. It is important that patients are examined for ticks and any tick removed.

HealthMap location: http://healthmap.org/r/28yb. - Mod.EP]

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Giza: Four children contact tick paralysis in first report of illness from Egypt

Journal of the Egyptian Society of Parasitology, Vol. 42, No. 1, April 2012
J. Egypt .Soc. Parasitol., 42 (1), 2012 :71 ? 78
TICK PARALYSIS: FIRST ZOONOSIS RECORD IN EGYPT
By
AMIRA A. ABD EL-RAHMAN MOSABAH1, and TOSSON A. MORSY2
Departments of Pediatric Medicine1 and Department of Parasitology2,
Faculties of Medicine1,2, Cairo University1, and Ain-Shams University,
Cairo 115662, Egypt
Abstract
Tick paralysis caused by the secretion of toxin with saliva while taking a blood
meal is an important veterinary disease, but is rare in humans. Although it has
certain geographical proclivities, it exists worldwide.
Tick paralysis was demonstrated for the first time in Egypt among four children
living in rural area at Giza Governorate. The clinical pictures were confused with
rabies; myasthensia gravis; botulism; diphtheritic polyneuropathy encountered in
rural areas. The recovery of tick infesting the four little children and negative
clinical and laboratory data of all diseases denoted tick paralysis. The encountered
ticks infesting their animals were Rhipicephalus sanguineus on dogs, Hyalomma
dromedarii on camels and Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum and Haemaphysalis
sp. on goats. The case was recognized as first record of tick paralysis in Egypt.
Key words: Egypt, Children, Tick paralysis, dogs, camels, goats.
...

Full PDF available free; http://www.parasitology.eg.net/pdf/current/8.pdf

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Re: Giza: Four children contact tick paralysis in first report of illness from Egypt

Notably absent in the original article is the time period of the cases. The paper was published in April 2012, but the illnesses may have occurred substantially earlier. I don't remember any of them being reported in Giza, but could this actually be one of the undiagnosed outbreaks in children we have reported on in Egypt over the past three years?

[Emily]

Re: Giza: Four children contact tick paralysis in first report of illness from Egypt

but could this actually be one of the undiagnosed outbreaks in children we have reported on in Egypt over the past three years?

It sounds like a possibility. Even though the disease is known to be in the U.S., it's rare it took awhile to diagnose a recent case in New York state. The tick was hidden in the girl's hair. Fortunately the paralysis is reversible with no known consequences when the ticks are removed before complications have set in.