Image courtesy of CDC.gov
Editor’s note: May 7-13 is Tick Awareness Week, which serves to promote public knowledge of ticks and the threats they present to humans and pets. As part of this week-long observance, PCT editors are sharing CDC’s recommendations for tick removal. CDC has an entire section of its website devoted to these public health-threatening pests: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/index.html
If you find a tick attached to your skin, simply remove the tick as soon as possible. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers works very well.
How to remove a tick
(1) Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
(2) 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.
(3) After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
(4) Never crush a tick with your fingers. Dispose of a live tick by
- Putting it in alcohol,
- Placing it in a sealed bag/container,
- Wrapping it tightly in tape, or
- Flushing it down the toilet.
Follow-up
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor:
- Tell the doctor about your recent tick bite,
- When the bite occurred, and
- Where you most likely acquired the tick.
Source: CDC.gov
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