Girl wakes up paralysed after potentially deadly tick bite

A young girl was temporarily paralysed, unable to move her legs or get out of bed, after she received a potentially deadly tick bite.

The American girl, who lives in West Virginia, was rushed to the emergency room where doctors were able to quickly diagnose the issue, US broadcaster Kron4 reports.

“Her mum actually worked as a veterinary tech and told us that she had seen similar things in animals,” EMSTAR emergency medical resident, Stephanie Thomas, said.

The situation was still dire as the girl's mum had checked her over numerous times and couldn't see any kind of tick bite anywhere.

Doctors managed to find the life-threatening tick under her long hair.

“One of the things that we try to do, is examine our patients very thoroughly and the girl has a nice, pretty long, ponytail,” Dr Thomas said. “We actually take the ponytail out and we’re looking through her hair and we find a nice big tick at the base of her ponytail.”

Tick paralysis is most commonly seen in young girls, and the ticks are often found at the transition from hair to the neck. If not caught in time it could lead to respiratory failure. In extreme cases, it can lead to death.

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Common tick symptoms include itching, burning, redness or a red spot, and localised intense pain in the joints.

“Always check your kids after you’re walking in long grass, especially in wooded areas," Dr Thomas said.

"Be sure you’re checking them before they’re getting into the shower or the bath, armpits, groins, all of that."