What should be done if a tick is infected? - briefly
Remove the tick promptly with fine‑tipped tweezers, gripping close to the skin and pulling straight out. Disinfect the bite area, monitor for rash or fever, and seek medical attention if any symptoms appear.
What should be done if a tick is infected? - in detail
When a tick is identified as carrying a pathogen, immediate removal is the first priority. Grasp the tick with fine‑point tweezers as close to the skin as possible, pull upward with steady, even pressure, and avoid squeezing the body. After extraction, cleanse the bite area and hands with an antiseptic solution such as povidone‑iodine or alcohol.
Observe the site for the next 30 days. Record any emerging signs: expanding redness, fever, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, or a rash resembling a bull’s‑eye. Early detection of these symptoms guides timely medical intervention.
Seek professional evaluation promptly. Inform the clinician that the tick was pathogen‑positive, providing details on the bite’s location, date, and any observed symptoms. The physician may order serologic tests (e.g., ELISA, Western blot) or polymerase chain reaction assays to confirm infection.
If laboratory results or clinical presentation indicate disease, initiate appropriate antimicrobial therapy. For Lyme disease, a standard regimen includes doxycycline 100 mg twice daily for 10–21 days; alternative agents (amoxicillin, cefuroxime) apply when doxycycline is contraindicated. Other tick‑borne illnesses (e.g., anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever) have specific drug protocols that must be followed precisely.
Document the incident in a personal health record and, when required by local health authorities, report the case to public‑health surveillance systems. Accurate reporting supports epidemiologic tracking and community risk assessments.
Implement preventive strategies to reduce future exposure: wear long sleeves and pants, treat clothing with permethrin, apply EPA‑registered repellents containing DEET or picaridin, perform regular body checks after outdoor activities, and promptly remove attached ticks using the technique described above.