Many years ago I was bitten by a tick. We had lovely fallow deer which came into our garden from the fields, and our cats often picked up their ticks in their fur. One attached itself to my leg. I didn't notice it for a few hours. I just pulled it off, but the tell-tale 'bullseye' circular rash sent me to the doctor, and I was given strong antibiotics. He said it could have become chronic Lyme disease (endemic in Norfolk), with many neurological problems. Fortunately I got away with it.

Infection isn't exactly sepsis. The latter is a reaction of the body's immune system to an initial infection, provoking a surge of inflammation which can cause major organs to shut down. Septicaemia doesn't always make itself evident, and symptoms can be missed.

To be fair, it isn't practical for A&E staff to test for simply everything on admission; their resources are stretched and one can't expect them to cover all possibilities, ideal though that would be.