Spring is here and so are the ticks! Tick removal and testing
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove the tick as soon as possible using the following steps:
• Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
• Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to
break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you cannot
remove the mouth easily with tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
• After removing the tick, clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
• Dispose of the tick by flushing it down the toilet. If you would like to bring the tick to your health care
provider for identification, put it in rubbing alcohol or place it in a sealed bag/container.
If you develop symptoms such as a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your health care
provider. You should tell your provider about the recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where the tick
was most likely acquired.
In general, it is not recommended to test a removed tick for evidence of infection:
• Laboratories that conduct tick testing are not required to have the high standards of quality control used
by clinical diagnostic laboratories. Results of tick testing should not be used for treatment decisions.
• Positive results showing that a tick contains a disease-causing organism do not necessarily mean that
you have been infected.
• Negative results can lead to false assurance. You may have been unknowingly bitten by a different tick
that was infected.
• If you do become ill, you should not wait for tick testing results before beginning appropriate treatment.
For more information from CDC about ticks and health risks to humans, visit www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html.