After being bitten by a tick and experiencing fever and diarrhea, a woman was admitted to the hospital for 7 days before passing away. Her daughter regrets misunderstanding her illness as a cold, which delayed seeking medical attention.
Ticks are small parasitic arachnids that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and even reptiles, and can carry a range of dangerous diseases. Recently, a woman in her fifties from Jiangsu, China, suddenly developed fever and diarrhea. Initially, she thought it was a cold and didn’t pay much attention to it. However, several days later, she began to experience confusion and her condition deteriorated rapidly, eventually leading to her death. Doctors suspected that the woman had been bitten by a tick, leaving her daughter feeling deeply guilty for delaying medical treatment, saying “Ticks took my mother away forever.”
The deceased woman’s daughter posted on the social platform “Xiaohongshu,” stating that her mother, in her fifties, suddenly experienced chills, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of appetite on the 12th of this month. At that time, she thought her mother just had a common cold and fever, so she gave her medicine and let her sleep. However, the next day, her mother began to experience severe pain in her waist and legs, prompting her to seek medical attention. After examination, her white blood cell and platelet counts were low, and after a bone marrow puncture the following day, abnormal blood was found, suggesting she had been bitten by a tick.
Because she had been bitten by ticks herself before, the daughter didn’t think it was a serious issue. However, her mother’s condition continued to worsen, with confusion setting in and her pain becoming unbearable, even with pain relief injections. A nurse told the daughter that her mother didn’t seem to be in physical pain but rather appeared to have neurological issues, causing her to worry, thinking her mother only had back pain.
Over time, death approached day by day, with doctors informing the family to prepare mentally, stating that there was almost no chance of survival, and suggesting they take the patient home to spend her final days. Ultimately, the woman passed away 7 days after seeking medical help. The daughter deeply regrets not taking her mother’s illness seriously earlier and mistaking it for something like a liver problem or COVID-19, believing that her mother’s condition wouldn’t have been delayed so much.
Public information shows that ticks, also known as wall lice, flat lice, black-footed lice, and grass brooms, mainly inhabit grasslands, fields, forests, and other outdoor environments. They are most active in spring, summer, and early autumn, relying on sucking the blood of large mammals, such as humans, for survival. After being bitten by ticks, localized skin inflammation and swelling may occur, and during the blood-sucking process, ticks may transmit various bacteria and viruses to humans, causing infectious diseases such as Lyme disease, Q fever, and tularemia.
According to the Health Commission of Fujian Province, China, to prevent tick bites, people should avoid sitting or lying in grasslands, bushes, and other tick-prone environments for long periods. When entering grassy areas or forests, it is advisable to wear light-colored long-sleeved shirts and long pants and avoid wearing sandals to prevent exposed skin. Clothes should not be dried on grass, bushes, or trees, and after picking up clothes from these areas, attention should be paid to inspecting and removing any ticks that may be present.