Urgent! Need info regarding ticks in Poconos (hotel, live)

[trusso11783]

My sister is in a hospital on Long Island (where we live) because she suddenly had a 102 fever, was weak, dehydrated, etc. All happened this past Saturday. No one knows what is wrong. She had to have a blood transfusion today because she is low on blood. Something, possibly a parasite, is in her bringing her red blood count down, though she is anemic. But, she has no issues normally

I am grasping at straws here but she just went to Kalihari Resort in the Poconos on Jun 1. She hiked on a mountain trail, which she never does normally. The timing of this has me beleving that she may have been bitten by a tick. All tests on her come negative (pneumonia, no rashes, flu, etc. Infectious Disease doctors are puzzled. I told them about ticks and they laughed it off but I am not so sure. Would anyone know about this in the Poconos area?

Any help would be appreciated.

[jtab4994]

Of course there are ticks along mountain trails. But there's nothing unique about ticks in the Poconos that doctors on Long Island wouldn't know about.


Lyme disease has been well-documented for several decades, and was first described in a patient in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, hence the name.

[charmed hour]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Of course there are ticks along mountain trails. But there's nothing unique about ticks in the Poconos that doctors on Long Island wouldn't know about.


Lyme disease has been well-documented for several decades, and was first described in a patient in the town of Old Lyme, Connecticut, hence the name.

As I'm sure you're aware, there are several tick borne illnesses besides Lyme Disease. The symptoms, as vague as the OP described, could possibly be related to Babesiosis. It's actually a parasite and some of the symptoms may fit and it has been found across the state.



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...x4Fu2m7-HJa852

[Chefkey]

Lyme Disease is slow to act on the system. Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever however happens quickly with a fever followed by a rash. I am sure the doctors would know this. So if it is tick related the most likely malady would be from the common wood tick, not the deer tick which does not carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, only the wood tick does.

[trusso11783]

Originally Posted by charmed hour

As I'm sure you're aware, there are several tick borne illnesses besides Lyme Disease. The symptoms, as vague as the OP described, could possibly be related to Babesiosis. It's actually a parasite and some of the symptoms may fit and it has been found across the state.



https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...x4Fu2m7-HJa852

That is exactly what my co worker stated. I don’t understand when I suggested that possibility to her doctors that they rolled their eyes and acted like I was crazy

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by trusso11783

That is exactly what my co worker stated. I don’t understand when I suggested that possibility to her doctors that they rolled their eyes and acted like I was crazy

Did she use the water park? Could it be related to an infection she encountered at the Park? I also presume she was out to eat and might have been a food issue? Let us know what her doctors find and good luck and a speedy recovery to your sister!

[jimazee]

Legionnella (among them Legionnaires Disease) related bacteria can cause some similar symptoms but different. The hospital probably ruled it out but ya never know ... Legionnaires is a form of pneumonia. The detection took a few days and the test results were (supposedly) "inconsistent". The treatment ended up as "successful" because the ER threw the kitchen sink at the unknown cause/infection for a few days while they tried to nail the cause down. ...and fortunately one antibio clicked after a few days.

The infection probably occurred 7 days or so before ER/hospitalization and came on gradually with nothing the first few days. There were other complications that I won't mention here that probably contributed to the infection...but for sure:

Depressed immune systems can contribute (older, weaker, run down etc).

Dehydration was due to lack of eating/keeping food and drink down/in for a few days...then triggered fevers. and other symptoms. Temp got to 104+

This is a hip shot since the symptoms you mention are so generic and omit some that are more classic to this type of disease...but...I'm not a medical person but we had a crudely similar situation a few months ago at a hotel with high concentrations of humid air due to a central swimming pool/hot tub etc. in the center of a hotel building. I haven't been to Kalahari but infer there's lots of hot humid air there.

Read up on it if you want more info...there's a lot on it on the web. Star w the Mayo Clinic and maybe Wiki or whatever you choose.

I'm publishing this here as much for general awareness that this (old time) famous disease is still around and often doesn't get much publicity etc.

Sure ticks could cause a bunch of stuff too.

Please let us know what it turns out to be if you are able.

[charmed hour]

Originally Posted by trusso11783

That is exactly what my co worker stated. I don’t understand when I suggested that possibility to her doctors that they rolled their eyes and acted like I was crazy

As someone who works in academic medicine (not a medical professional), one thing I have learned is when a doctor is tone deaf, it's time to find a new doctor. ID docs are ace but they, like anyone else, don't always see the forest for the trees or take kindly to being told how to do their job at times. Especially when the person advocating is not in the medical profession as well.



My suggestion is to have your sister sign a HIPPA release and you collect her medical records from the hospital. You can then see what tests have been run or not. I would seek out an MD not affiliated with her present illness to review. If you can have her primary, or another specialist she may already see, review them more than better.

[ki0eh]

Strangely enough, this is just a few exits down from Kalahari:
https://www.esu.edu/dna/tick-diagnostics/index.cfm

[ki0eh]

https://nolyme.com/