Proper Tick Removal: A Health Notice

Prompt removal of the tick is important as the longer the tick remains on a person’s body, the greater the chance of disease transmission.

Traditional removal methods such as tweezers (with or without twisting), fingers, petroleum jelly, fingernail polish, applying kerosene or use of a hot match head are not recommended as any one of these procedures can cause the tick to vomit, defecate or urinate. This can increase the likelihood of infection as the infectious agents are within the tick’s bodily fluids.

Dr. E.K. Murakami (Clinical Associate Professor, Department of Family Practice, UBC) and Dr. S. Christie have developed a new field technique for removal of ticks. This new technique avoids any vomiting of the intestinal contents of the tick.

The equipment required for this technique is a piece of drinking straw and a piece of thread.

1. The straw is placed over the wood-tick and is held at a 45°. A piece of thread is placed around the straw and slid down to the skin.
2. The thread is brought down against the skin around the tick’s jaw. A single knot is made and slowly tightened to close around the jaw of the tick.
3. Remove the straw and pull gently upwards on the string. It may take up to a couple minutes for the tick to release. This method avoids regurgitation of infectious agents and the tick remains alive and in one piece.

After the tick has been removed, place it in a container with a piece of damp gauze. Label container with date shipped, name of person bitten, what part of body bitten, the location where the tick came from. This container should be taken to your local health unit as soon as possible for testing at the laboratory. Once the tick has been removed, clean the bite area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Wash hands with soap and water.

If you have the following symptoms within days or weeks after being bitten by a tick please report them to your physician immediately:

• General symptoms of headache, muscle and joint pains, fatigue or weakness of the muscles of the face.
• Skin rash, especially one that looks like a “Bull’s Eye”. It may or may not be where the bite was.

DISCLAIMER:This article is not intended to replace a one-to-one relationship with a qualified health professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from research and experience in the scientific literature. GPGeocaching and UTAG encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.