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A Kentucky mother who found a tick on her 2-year-old son's neck is now warning other parents: beware of these potentially pathogenic animals.
Kayla Oblisk told Fox News that she had removed a tick from her toddler Jackson's body in May after playing outside. A few days later, on May 20, she began to notice symptoms of what she would later learn as a potentially life-threatening disease called Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. About a week later, his son was in the Intensive Care Unit at Norton Children's Hospital in Louisville.
"We did not realize the seriousness of the situation before going to the ICU," said 24-year-old Oblisk.
WHAT IS ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FIEVRE? SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF POINT DISEASE
At one point, Jackson had a swollen face that made it difficult for him to open his eyes. He was dehydrated and had trouble eating. The pain caused doctors to consider morphine for the toddler, who was 2 years old while in hospital, according to his mother's Facebook posts. He also had low blood pressure and developed stress-related heart murmur, among other symptoms and complications.
According to the CDC, there is no vaccine to prevent RMSF.
(Kayla Oblisk)
"My child did not get up, he did not eat, he did not drink, he had a fever of 105 degrees," Oblisk told local TV channel 11 Live. "We could not do anything, if you touched him, he would scream." She also knew that something was really wrong when her normally vocal child stopped speaking.
"Honestly, this experience is something I do not wish for my worst enemy. Watching your son lie in a hospital bed without knowing for sure when he will come out, it's just crazy, "Oblisk told Fox News.
CALIFORNIA GIRL DIAGNOSIS OF RAT-BITE FEVER AFTER PLAYING WITH ANIMAL RATS
A bacterial disease, RMSF is spread by the bite of an infected tick, usually an American tick, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This type of tick is widespread in most of the United States, but it exists mainly in the east, center and west of the country. It is also known that the brown dog tick has spread the disease in states near the US-Mexico border.
Specifically, states such as Arkansas, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma and Tennessee account for more than half – 60% – of RMSF cases each year, according to the CDC.
Some tick species – like the American tick – are at the root of the disease. (Kayla Oblisk)
Symptoms of RMSF may include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and muscle aches. This can also cause a nasty rash, which "usually develops 2 to 4 days after the onset of fever," reported the CDC.
"The appearance of the rash can vary considerably during the course of the illness. Some rashes may look like red spots and others at point spots. Although almost all patients with RMSF develop a rash, it often does not appear early in the disease, which may make the diagnosis of RMSF difficult to diagnose, "the CDC continued.
RMSF is listed in a category called "Rickettsiosis of Spotted Fever", or SFR, which is rare. In 2017, just over 6,200 cases of LICOs were reported.
Jackson, 2, was in the intensive care unit after contracting Spotted Rocky Mountain fever.
(Kayla Oblisk)
As for Jackson, the toddler developed what his pediatrician initially thought to be a viral rash. But Oblisk said "following her instinct" helped her to realize that the rash was the sign of something more serious, especially when her son's condition continued to s & rsquo; # 39; worse.
"If you think something is wrong with your baby, you have to keep asking until you get real answers. Because you are your child's voice, "she said in a message on Facebook.
To prevent serious complications, the FMSR needs to be treated quickly – especially during the first five days, symptoms appear. Otherwise, the disease can be fatal. It can also lead to loss of membership, warns the CDC. An antibiotic – Doxycycline – is usually given to fight the disease. Jackson received this antibiotic, but his doctors initially thought it was too late, according to Oblisk.
Fortunately, Jackson "is much better," said his mother, although she said that the toddler will spend a few weeks in a rehabilitation center to find "the normal functions of his legs and his balance," which have also been affected.
The toddler developed a rash after being bitten by a tick infected with RMSF, said his mother. (Kayla Oblisk)
GEORIGA MOM OBSERVED TO OTHERS AFTER HIS 5-YEAR SON, CONTRASTS A RARE DISEASE OF THE PIQUÉ
"I've been stung by hundreds of ticks and I've never thought that such a situation could occur because you've heard of tick-borne diseases, but you do not see them." never really around you, "she said. "I knew that ticks were disease carriers, but I really thought it was so rare that it never happens to us."
According to the CDC, there is no vaccine to prevent RMSF. Instead, it is best to carefully check for bugs after being outdoors, especially in the summer, when the tick season is at its peak. In addition to checking the clothes and taking a shower after entering, the CDC suggests checking under the arm, in and around the ears, in the belly button and around the waist.
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