Why might clinical suspicion for a soft tick-borne illness arise only after the symptomatic period begins?
Answer
Soft ticks feed briefly and hide well, making tick attachment observation rare.
A key diagnostic hurdle with soft tick-borne illnesses stems from the tick's evasion tactics. Because Argasid ticks are highly adept at hiding—often retreating to dark crevices after very brief feeds—individuals rarely notice the tick itself attached to the host. Furthermore, their saliva contains anesthetic properties that mask the bite. Consequently, clinical suspicion often only arises later, once the symptomatic period, such as unexplained fever associated with TBRF, has already commenced, long after the arthropod has departed the host.
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