Where should a tick be taken for examination? - briefly
Remove the tick with fine tweezers, place it in a sealed vial containing a moist cotton ball, and forward it to a public‑health or veterinary laboratory for species identification and pathogen testing.
Where should a tick be taken for examination? - in detail
The specimen for laboratory analysis must be removed from the host in a manner that preserves the parasite’s integrity and allows accurate identification. The preferred site is the attachment point on the skin, where the tick’s mouthparts are firmly anchored. Removing the entire organism, including the capitulum, prevents loss of diagnostic structures such as the hypostome and salivary glands.
Procedure
- Use fine‑point tweezers or a specialized tick removal tool.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible, avoiding compression of the abdomen.
- Apply steady, upward traction until the tick separates in one piece.
- Inspect the removed specimen; if the mouthparts remain embedded, a small incision may be required to free them.
Preservation
- Place the tick in a sealed container with a moist cotton pad to prevent desiccation.
- Label the container with date, time, host species, and exact body region (e.g., “right scapular area”).
- Store at 4 °C if analysis will occur within 24 hours; otherwise, freeze at –20 °C for longer periods.
Documentation
- Photograph the attachment site before removal.
- Record any visible signs of engorgement, as size correlates with feeding duration and pathogen transmission risk.
Following these steps ensures that the collected parasite is suitable for morphological or molecular examination, facilitating reliable species determination and pathogen detection.