A Tick bit my butt!!!

After a my trip to Austria I found a tick on my butt!!!
The first one I ever been bitten by. I removed it and called my doctor. He told me to keep an eye on the area. I did, at first there was nothing to see, but then after a couple of days the area started to get red and swollen - and that means problems, so I called him again and quickly got a antibiotic cure, which I am now going follow for ten days.
The first symptoms were pains in my joints, especially my knees and leg muscles, it felt like I had the flue, sweating and feeling dizzy. Quite frankly I felt like shit, and still do. This little experience have really put things in perspective.

We fly fishers are "crawling around" in the woods, and here we are really exposed to these small "vampires". But it isn't the bite and the blood sucking that causes problems, it's the bacteria it brings with it - Borrelia Burgdorferi - a bactaria that can cause a lot of problems if not treated in a hurry. Borrelia Burgdorferi causes the so called Lyme disease (see several links below)

But it doesn't stop here, it isn't only the Borrelia bacteria this little devil can carry arround.  The TBE (tick borne encephalitis - also called the eastern encephalitis. ) is a virus and can develop into this very serious decease  (TBE) and it is recommended, that anyone who spends a lot of time out in nature, get a TBE vaccine. 
TBE is still very seldom but after this nasty experience, I will pay my doctor a visit monday and get this vaccine.

I won't take any chances - not after that little "sucker" has bitten my butt!!

If the reaction from the bite looks like this - call a doctor!!

This tick is full of blood - truly a disgusting little creature!!! 

Here are some relevant links to this subject:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease
Medicinenet : http://www.medicinenet.com/lyme_disease/article.htm
CDC : http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/lyme/
Public Health Agency of Canada : http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/id-mi/lyme-fs-eng.php
WD (wrong diagnosis) : http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/l/lyme_disease/intro.htm