Bit by a tick? What you should know about tick testing and tick removal
As potential record numbers of tiny parasites bite New Yorkers this tick season, options abound for testing the arachnids for evidence of harmful diseases.
But health officials urge caution when considering tick testing, noting the results should not be used for potential treatment decisions.
Some reasons for discouraging tests’ role in medical care? Positive results do not necessarily mean you have been infected. And negative results can also lead to false assurance, as you may have been unknowingly bitten by a different tick that was infected.
Instead, tick testing is among myriad scientific tools deployed to improve understanding of the public health threats of tick-borne illnesses, such as Lyme disease, which early data this year suggest could cause historically high levels of suffering.
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How to get tick testing
A variety of commercial labs offer tick-testing services via the mail for prices ranging from $40 to more than $100, depending in part on the number of diseases being screened and timeliness of results.
Lyme disease advocacy groups, such as Project Lyme, and some health departments provide lists of tick-testing labs. But these labs are not required to have the high standards of quality control used by clinical diagnostic laboratories related to medical facilities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted.
An academic research effort in upstate New York had also been offering tick-testing services for free, but it recently shifted to a charged model, as first reported by newyorkupstate.com. That testing, through Upstate Tick Testing Lab, is affiliated with SUNY Upstate Medical University.
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How to remove a tick
While considering tick-testing, your first priority should be removing the parasite safely. Among the best practices, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
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, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
How to dispose of a tick
Getting rid of a live tick without risk of further illness is also crucial. CDC tips include:
Putting it in alcohol
Placing it in a sealed bag/container
Wrapping it tightly in tape
Flushing it down the toilet
Should I burn a tick off?
No. Avoiding folklore remedies is also part of CDC guidance. That includes the ineffective myths calling for “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin.
Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible — not waiting for it to detach, CDC says.
What is Tick Bite Bot?
There is also an interactive digital tool that CDC makes available for helping people remove a tick.
The so-called Tick Bite Bot asks a series of questions and provides answers that include images and advice intended to guide users through the process or removing a tick and, if necessary, seeking medical treatment.
For further details, visit the website through cdc.gov/lyme/.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Bit by a tick? What you should know about tick testing and removal
