Mum in tick-bite warning after girl’s ordeal
A MUM is warning parents to be alert for tick bites after her daughter was bitten on a day out.
Ticks are most commonly found in woodland and grassy areas and while some are harmless, it’s the infected ones that are dangerous as they can spread Lyme disease, a bacterial infection.
If left untreated, a simple bite from the tiny spider-like creatures can lead to facial nerve paralysis, arthritis and meningitis.
Jen Johnson’s daughter, Ellie, was bitten by one during a family walk up Rivington Pike.
Unaware of what had caused it, Jen treated the swollen lump – which looked like a mosquito bite – with antiseptic cream and antihistamines.
But over the course of a week the lump became worse and after eight days Ellie was complaining about a pain in her leg. It came up in a rash, forming a bull’s eye pattern.
After calling 111, Jen was advised to take her daughter to hospital and within an hour she was being treated on Wigan Hospital’s Rainbow Ward for an infected tick bite.
Jen said: “I honestly didn’t know the seriousness of this type of bite and want to make other parents aware of this, especially with the increase of people’s outdoor adventures.
“Ellie was kept in through the night. She has a low immune system and is anaemic so it’s best for her to be at home due to the current circumstances.
“She’s on 15ml of the amoxicillin antibiotic three times a day – that’s three times what she’d usually have for an infection – which shows how high the dose is.”
Mum-of-two Jen, from Wigan, added: “She’s not showing a high temperature or muscle joint pain at the minute. We definitely caught it as the bacteria started to present.”
“The consultant rang to check on her and ask questions regarding her health and any deterioration.
“Some people think it’s just an infected bite and leave it. Then in months to come, or even years, they start with the symptoms.”