[ZenGum]

Deer ticks? Lyme disease? Pffft.

Mate, we've got bloody paralysis ticks!

(This time I am not kidding).

Tick paralysis is most likely to be seen in children. The initial symptoms of tick paralysis may include unsteady gait, increased weakness of the limbs, multiple rashes, headache, fever, flu like symptoms, tenderness of lymph nodes, and partial facial paralysis. Tick paralysis develops slowly as the tick engorges, which will take several days. Despite the removal of the tick, the patient's condition typically will continue to deteriorate for a time and recovery is often slow. Undetected ticks are another possible reason for any prologed debilitation and should always remain a concern. Improvements in modern medicine and the development of a tick antitoxin have prevented further deaths from tick paralysis in the last 70 years. The antitoxin is available from the Commonwealth Serum Laboratories. Despite these developments, a few cases of tick paralysis in children are seen at major hospitals each year. Additionally, ticks take a high toll on pets every summer.