Evaluation of Tick-Bite Cases with Infection Agents among Patients Visiting State Hospital in Malatya, Turkey

Objevtive: The study aims to determine where the patients who visited applied to the state hospital with tick-bites between April-September 2009 to evaluate bitten areas of the body and species separation that forms infestation and the cases in terms of bacterial and viral infection.Methods: The patients, who had tick-bites, applied to the state hospital to form the material of the study. Anamnesis was taken from the patients applied to the hospital. It was recorded that where the patients came from and where the infestation was.Results: Patients' serological test results were found within normal levels. Tick type found as 69 Hyalomma marginatum, 29 Rhipicephalus bursa, 27 Hyalomma anatolicum anatolicum, 21 Hyalomma aegyptium, 19 Hyalomma anatolicum excavatum, 12 Rhipicephalus sanguineus, 9 Dermacentor marginatus, 7 Haemaphysalis parva, and 4 Hyalomma detritum. Also it was determined that there were 3 larvas and 5 nimfs belonged to Hyalomma species in a growth phase and 1 nimf belonged to Haemaphysalis. Conclusion: It was concluded in the study that the H. marginatum, known as crimean-congo haemorrhagic fever vector, is more common than the other types and it is a risky situation for the city to be geographically near to the regions where the virus is seen, thus some precautions should be taken.