Where can you get a test for a subcutaneous tick? - briefly
You can obtain a subcutaneous tick assay at veterinary diagnostic laboratories or animal hospitals that provide parasitology services. Accredited veterinary schools and specialized pet‑care labs also offer the test on request.
Where can you get a test for a subcutaneous tick? - in detail
A diagnostic evaluation for a subdermal tick requires a medical professional to collect a specimen and submit it to a certified laboratory. The following settings routinely provide such testing:
- Hospital emergency departments and inpatient dermatology units: staff can excise the embedded tick, preserve it in a sterile container, and forward it to the hospital’s pathology or microbiology department for identification.
- Outpatient dermatology or infectious‑disease clinics: clinicians perform a minor surgical removal, then arrange analysis through the clinic’s partnered laboratory.
- Primary‑care offices with access to a reference lab: family‑medicine physicians can order a tick‑identification service from commercial providers such as Quest Diagnostics or Labcorp, using a mailed sample kit.
- Veterinary hospitals and animal‑health laboratories: when the tick originates from a pet, veterinary pathologists can process the specimen and issue a report that may be applicable to human exposure.
- Dedicated tick‑testing services: companies that specialize in arthropod identification (e.g., TickReport, CDC’s Tick Identification Service) accept mailed specimens and return species‑level results with guidance on associated pathogens.
The typical workflow includes:
- Professional removal of the tick to avoid contamination.
- Placement of the specimen in a sealed, labeled container with a preservative (e.g., 70 % ethanol).
- Completion of a requisition form specifying the suspected species, patient exposure history, and required pathogen testing.
- Shipment to the selected laboratory under temperature‑controlled conditions, if required.
- Receipt of a detailed report indicating tick species, life stage, and any detected infectious agents (e.g., Borrelia, Anaplasma).
Patients should contact their healthcare provider to determine the most appropriate venue based on insurance coverage, geographic location, and urgency of diagnosis.