15-year-old girl hospitalized following tick bite
A teenager was taken to the emergency room after attempts by community doctors to remove a tick failed. The director of the pediatric emergency department at Assuta Ashdod successfully extracted the parasite.
Maya (pseudonym), a 15-year-old girl, arrived this past weekend at the emergency room of the Assuta Public Hospital in Ashdod after a tick became embedded in her cheek. Several community doctors attempted to extract the tick, but when those efforts proved unsuccessful, she was sent to the hospital. Dr. Hagar Gur-Soferman, director of the pediatric emergency department, successfully removed the tick and described the treatment:
"The girl was very calm and cooperated throughout the treatment; in the end, we removed the tick in its entirety. It was small, about three millimeters. Someone who doesn't know Maya might have thought it was a mole. There was no redness or itching around the bite. According to family members, it likely came from the family dog."
According to the doctor, this is not a rare occurrence, especially during the summer months and in areas with frequent contact with animals. "Anyone who raises dogs is familiar with this phenomenon. In residential areas with detached houses, it happens more often. Most people bitten by a tick in Israel will not get sick, and unlike countries like the USA, where there is significant concern about Lyme disease, that disease does not exist here. However, there are other diseases in the country that can be transmitted through ticks, including tick-borne relapsing fever — a rare disease transmitted by ticks found mainly in caves and abandoned structures."
The doctor emphasizes the importance of proper removal:
"It is not like a mosquito that you crush or a bee whose stinger you pull out. The longer the tick remains embedded, or if a part of it remains inside the skin, the higher the risk of diseases transmitted through it."
She explains that the correct method is to grasp the tick using blunt tweezers as close as possible to the skin and pull it gently and slowly outward, without twisting or crushing it. Afterward, one must ensure no parts remain in the skin, as this could cause irritation or infection. Dr. Gur-Soferman notes that in most cases, no special treatment is needed beyond monitoring for symptoms. She also warns against home remedies, such as applying oil or hot water, noting that research shows these are neither recommended nor safe.
