Since I got back from RSA, I've had mild headache, achey thighs, and stiff neck, chills and fever, and now, swollen lymph glands on the inside of my thighs.

AFAIK, no ticks attached themselves to me although I did find them crawling on me at times. I also must have gotten bitten by mosquitoes or something as I've got some bites that took a few days to make themselves evident.

Where I was is not supposed to be a malaria area anymore.

Any ideas for me to take to my doctor?

Have you contacted your Outfitter or PH where your hunted? They may have insight.

Sounds like you have tick fever. When we were there, one of our party had it. Antibiotics did the trick.

Go to your doctor.

Quicker to the doctor is better than slower. Depending on the disease, you can suffer long term effects by delaying.

From personal experience, I can tell you that you can get tick fever(s) without finding an attached tick or a red spot where one was.

For instance, you could have combed one out of your hair, had a spot on your back not visible to you, etc.

Not fret too much, though. Usually tetracyclene or some other anti-biotic will do quick wonders.

Good luck!

Get some blood work done ASAP! Check for tick fever, bilharzia (snail fever) and malaria for a start. If possible find a Dr. who knows tropical diseases. This is not likely get better without treatment.

sounds like tick fever. doxy will clear it up quick, but you probably will have to tell the dr. last time we had it the dr insisted it was lyme & we had a hellova time convincing otherwise

postoak,

I'm not a medical person but you have pretty clssic tick bite fever syptoms. Also not taking a malaria prophylaxis is like playing Russian roulette with your health. It only takes one bite. Next trip go to the CDC website and take whatever they recommend for the country you are traveling to. This is something your agent should have covered with you.

Mark

Sounds exactly like tick bite fever. I had it in
2005 when I returned from SA safari. The docs here know little about it so make sure you go too one who bbelives it may be that. After
getting a dose of antibiodics I was fine. My Dr who was initially sceptical did go with treating for that based on some info I found here & ON THE NET. He later went to a convention & was at a seminar where this was discussed as more & MORE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO sa & OTHER PLACES & getting tick bite fever and someone in the medical field determined that this info needs to get to US Drs. I will add that I most likely got it unnessesarily as it was not until about the 7th day of my hunt that
my PH even mentioned anything about the ticks.
I feel that the PHs in SA are somewhat negligent
for not getting this info out to the clients BEFORE they get there - so precautions can be taken. Thats how I feel . Get to a Dr. & dont wait, you will be ok in a short time if you have it and take the meds.

Not just any antibiotic will curb African tick fever. Get your blood tested, and make certain your doctor requests tests for the diseases Jim mentioned. Too many of them will want to treat you for Lyme disease, as butchloc says.

Bill Quimby

I got tick bite fever and never saw a tick. Doxycycline killed it for me. Get a blood test done and take doxy while you await the results.

Sounds just like the tick-bite fever I had in '08. Got some doxy in my system within 24hrs of symptom onset, and was feeling back to normal within 48 hrs.

I left for the doctor before I read all of these. He said it sounded like a type of Lyme disease, but gave me two things:

1) Doxycycline Hyclate 100 mg

2) Ciprofloxacin HCL 500 mg

Think this will do it?

Yep. That will kill what ails you.

I have not been sick yet, but I carry a script of Doxy in my kit, for tick bite fever, and two other antibotics for upper and lower GI. My doc has been to Africa 13 times and knows the drill.

In 2006 I was in Limpopo, and came doun with similar aymptoms accompanied with a rash on my arma and back. It turned out to be Dingue fever. If nothing else shows up in your blood test you might mention it.

Postoak, too bad you really are sick. I was hoping to read that you were simply suffering from a back case of Africanus Safariitis, which can only be cured by making a return trip.

As everybody has said, probably tick bite fever. You need to get on antibiotics RIGHT NOW. I used cipro and my wife took doxy. We both made a turnaround after a couple of days of antibiotics.

When we think of ticks most are large enough to see with the eye like on your dog or even on our skin.
I saw pepper ticks once on one of the trackers pants. They looked just like dust. They used an insecticide on them called DOOM many may have seen this. Anyway Postoak good luck on the treatment.

Mike

Does this TBF recurr?? ...after my initial horrible bout I got last month after my return from Natal... I have come down with similar symptoms yesterday, although not as bad.

I know how you are feeling Postoak - I was out-of-action for a week - shocking headache and neck spasm. Really aweful thing.

Matt, Not to my knowledge. Perhaps you should get checked. Maybe one of the other health professionals here can help you. I will be the first to tell you I am not at the top of my game at the moment. My memory has holes like a swiss cheese! Anyway you dont want to ignor it. Also, it could be a different type of TF. Probably another round of doxy will take care of it.

quote:

Originally posted by retreever:
When we think of ticks most are large enough to see with the eye like on your dog or even on our skin.
I saw pepper ticks once on one of the trackers pants. They looked just like dust. They used an insecticide on them called DOOM many may have seen this. Anyway Postoak good luck on the treatment.

Mike

DOOM is famous in East Africa. Bad news bug killer. Don't breathe that crap.

Infectious Disease Specialist should be consulted forthwith.

Jeff

Postoak, Just recently saw this. First, are you better? If so disregard rest of post!!!
Second, if you're not better get checked for meningitis, the symptoms you have are classic signs/symptoms of meningitis. Africa has what is called the "meningitis belt" it doesn't sound like you were near it but you might have come in contact with someone that was (airport?). Do NOT take any chances with meningitis, it is very bad news. There is a simple to get vaccination for this, I believe it's a onetime shot (not positive though).
Hope this helps and I hope you don't need this info! Joe

Hi, part of my work role is to run a travel health clinic ( Im also a registered nurse) you need prompt medical attention first to rule out any other conditions which may not be associated with travel. Otherwise a lot of likely culprits have been mentioned. Malaria needs to be ruled out as does Dengue fever and any tick-borne infection which can lead to enchephalitis. Goose is right much of sub-saharan Africa is in the meningitis belt (especially in the dry season) and vaccination against ACWY strain is reccomended every 5 years.
I hope you have recovered by now.

Regards

Matt

I am fine now. After about 4 days of feeling good, I had a little relapse, but came thru that. I couldn't get an appointment with an infectious disease specialist until end of next week, so I'll probably cancel it if I'm still feeling okay.

I do have about 20 bites, mostly on my legs, a few on my arms, and a few around my navel, that weren't there when I left Africa, and kept on appearing even after I was on the Doxy and Cipro but no new ones have appeared for several days.

So, next trip, get vaccinated for meningitis, tetanus (booster), hepatitis, and take a preventive for malaria. Anything else?

Next time in Africa, use 10 minutes every day to check yourself for tick bites. As you maybe know they love the hot and steamy parts of your body.
Like under the arms, in your crotch and the back of knees etc. And, get a GOOD friend to check your back parts... If it's pepper ticks they are so small they are difficult to spot. Also, remember that ticks on killed game will seek a new host as soon as the animail is killed. So leave the carrying of shot game to others. Like impala over the shoulders and so on.
Most Warhogs are a tick farm, likewise game in poor condition.

quote:

Originally posted by postoak:
I am fine now. After about 4 days of feeling good, I had a little relapse, but came thru that. I couldn't get an appointment with an infectious disease specialist until end of next week, so I'll probably cancel it if I'm still feeling okay.

I do have about 20 bites, mostly on my legs, a few on my arms, and a few around my navel, that weren't there when I left Africa, and kept on appearing even after I was on the Doxy and Cipro but no new ones have appeared for several days.

So, next trip, get vaccinated for meningitis, tetanus (booster), hepatitis, and take a preventive for malaria. Anything else?

I'd keep the appointment; even if feeling better now, might get a relapse at some point. It will be MUCH easier to get back in quick as an established patient if you have a relapse.

A pound to a pinch of the smelly brown stuff you have tick bite fever. You'll have fevers & chills, severe headaches, tiredness, aches & pains and feel like you've been hit by a train. Swollen glands are also a good possibility.

If you treat it with a broad spectrum antibiotic it'll last about a week or maybe a bit more and if you don't treat it, it'll last about 7-10 days.

If you get a repeat of the whole thing, it means you had at least one other tick on you.....and you may have more.

Ticks particularly like damp, warm areas but can be anywhere on your body, so the first places to check are groin etc. If you do find any, DON'T try to pull them off. Instead, grasp them as close to the skin as you can with a pair of tweezers and gently rock back and forth until the tick lets go.

If you think there's any chance whatsoever that you might still have some ticks on you, use dog tick and flea shampoo for a few days instead of soap or shower gel........ AND FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS PROPERLY... which means, cover yourself with suds and then step out of the water flow for a few minutes to allow the stuff to do it's job properly.

Be cautious which dog tick and flea shampoo you buy as some are toxic to humans and some are not.

Ticks are a real bloody nuisance but they are part of Africa so you need to learn to accept them as a fact of life and taking the proper precautions reduces the chances of your getting sick dramatically.

Hey Steve good to see you up and about as well. Either your feeling much better or the Mrs dosnt know you snuck out of bed and over to the computer.

Mike,

I managed a more or less good nights sleep and even a short walk round the garden this morning so think I'm over the worst of it now buddy....... I also finished the course of antibiotics this morning so guess the next 24 hours will tell me if I'm on the last leg of recovery or not.

It was a shit thing for a while though..... when Susan picked me up from the airport, I couldn't take more than 4 steps or speak more than 3 or 4 words without having to take a rest.

Haven't been able to eat more than a mug of soup for well over a week either but will try something more substantial tonight.

It sounds like the case of tick bite fever that I contracted last trip over.

I cleared it up in a hurry with Ciprofloxacin, which was probably "overkill" but it did the trick and that's what really matters.

quote:

couldn't speak more than 3 or 4 words without having to take a rest.

Where exactly in RSA and do your best in identifying the cause - might be worth culturing the bug as a vaccine against NWS (Nagging Wife Syndrome)

quote:

Originally posted by postoak:
I am fine now. After about 4 days of feeling good, I had a little relapse, but came thru that. I couldn't get an appointment with an infectious disease specialist until end of next week, so I'll probably cancel it if I'm still feeling okay.

I do have about 20 bites, mostly on my legs, a few on my arms, and a few around my navel, that weren't there when I left Africa, and kept on appearing even after I was on the Doxy and Cipro but no new ones have appeared for several days.

So, next trip, get vaccinated for meningitis, tetanus (booster), hepatitis, and take a preventive for malaria. Anything else?

postoak,
I do all that you suggest, except the meningitis vaccine, unless recommended for a special situation, and nowadays that is merely going off to college and living in a dormitory, for a teenager/young adult.

It sure sounds like you had tick fever, or a rickettsial infection of the typhus group.
Fleas, ticks, lice, several ways to get typhus.
If you saw ticks on you and you got sick, doxycycline is the treatment, just 100 mg twice daily for 7 days, I'd do 10 days for myself.

Lyme disease and relapsing fever are from spirochetes similar to syphilis.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tick typhus, are rickettsial, and Ehrlichiosis (aka anaplasmosis) and other atypical gram negatives and "Neorickettsia" and even some viruses like tick-borne encephalitis abound, and may co-exist in the vector and cause dual infections ...

ALL the above (except viruses that basically just run their course) are usually easily nipped in the bud by doxycycline or azithromycin.

It's a mess! Then throw in malaria to consider, and all the other parasites and viruses and other bacteria ...
Not to mention personal allergy and side-effect and hepatic and renal insufficiency in some individuals. People are different too!

Get all the vaccines and prophylaxis recommended for your area. Check the CDC site.

I have done Malarone twice. It is generic now.
I always take doxycycline along, or a Z-pak.
If any ticks are found crawling on me: I take the doxy or a Z-pak.
Doxycycline may reduce the effectiveness of the Malarone by reducing the atovaquone component blood level, but doxycycline is itself a prophylaxis for malaria.

Azithromycin (Z-pak) does not interact with Malarone, and it is active against some doxycycline-resistant "Scrub typhus" from northern Thailand, which is also chlorampenicol resistant.
A single 500 mg dose of azithromycin may be as effective as a course of doxycycline, per some studies on doxycycline-susceptible rickettsial typhus.
Less photosensitivity with azithromycin than doxycycline also.
A 5-day Z-pak (azithromycin) will be effective for 10-days. Repeat as needed. If the ticks are thick.
It is a generic now too: Six 250 mg oral tablets, take 2 tabs the first day, then one daily next 4 days.

Cipro: that is primarily for bacterial typhoid, traveler's diarrhea, anthrax prophylaxis etc., too much to go into here, why I try to only make an occasional token response to all the sufferers here,
but you all have my sympathy.
Glad you are feeling better, well by now, surely.

For most folks: Daily Malarone and a Z-pak or doxycycline as needed, here's to good health:

Get checked out, but bear in mind that tic bite fever often gives a negative on a test. I've had it a few times, treated it successfully and after starting treatment I was feeling a lot better within a day or two.

Have never tested since; know exactly how it feels

Obviously beware of malaria.

Use Bayticol when in Africa. Your PH can pick it up for you in advance (product of BAYER).

quote:

Originally posted by dogcat:
Yep. That will kill what ails you.

If you don't feel better soon go back to the doc. my money is this will take care of you asap

quote:

Originally posted by postoak:
I do have about 20 bites, mostly on my legs, a few on my arms, and a few around my navel, that weren't there when I left Africa, and kept on appearing even after I was on the Doxy and Cipro but no new ones have appeared for several days.

Pepper ticks for sure!!

quote:

Originally posted by Scriptus:
Pepper ticks for sure!!

Sure sounds like it..... time to get busy with the dog tick and flea shampoo for a few days!

You might also like to have the rest of the household use the same treatment just in case they've also picked up any ticks from you......... which probably won't make you very popular with the female members of your household!

Of course you could always organise a nice young nubile [ note nubile ] to rummage around your nether regions and wobbly bits with a pair of tweezers in hand next time you come over.

Shakari........I am glad your up and feeling better! I am also getting back to normal.