How to transport a tick for analysis? - briefly
Place the tick in a sealed, ventilated container with a moist cotton pad, keep the container refrigerated at 4 °C, and ship it promptly under bio‑hazard guidelines. Label the package with collection date, location, and species identification, and use an overnight courier to ensure timely delivery to the laboratory.
How to transport a tick for analysis? - in detail
Transporting a tick for laboratory analysis requires preserving morphology and nucleic acids while preventing contamination.
The specimen should be removed with fine‑pointed tweezers, grasping the mouthparts to avoid crushing the body. Immediately place the tick into a sterile, leak‑proof tube.
Preservation options depend on downstream tests:
- «70 % ethanol» maintains structural integrity and is suitable for morphological identification and most DNA assays.
- RNAlater stabilizes RNA for transcriptomic studies; fill the tube to cover the tick completely.
- Dry storage on sterile filter paper preserves DNA for later extraction and simplifies transport when cold chain is unavailable.
Packaging follows a two‑layer system. The primary tube is sealed, then placed inside a secondary container with absorbent material to contain leaks. If ethanol or RNAlater is used, keep the package refrigerated (4 °C) but not frozen; for dry specimens, ambient temperature is acceptable.
Label each tube with collection date, geographic coordinates, host species, and collector’s name. Use waterproof ink to prevent loss of information.
Shipment must comply with regulations for biological materials. Select a courier that offers temperature‑controlled transport and provides a tracking number. Include a declaration form stating that the contents are non‑infectious when preserved in ethanol, and attach a copy of the material transfer agreement if required.
Following these procedures ensures that the tick arrives intact, with reliable data for accurate identification and pathogen detection.