Removal · field guidance

Bringing the tick (or its photo) to the appointment

A saved tick or sharp dorsal/ventral photos let the clinician confirm species, life stage, and engorgement, which drives treatment decisions.

Steps

schema.org/HowTo

01
Place the removed tick in a small ziploc bag or stuck to clear tape on an index card; refrigeration is fine but not required.
02
Label with date and bite location.
03
If you cannot save the tick, photograph it dorsally and ventrally with a coin or ruler in frame.
04
Bring the specimen or photos to the visit; clinicians or public health labs can confirm species and life stage.
05
Routine commercial tick-testing for pathogens has limited clinical utility — CDC does not recommend treatment decisions based on tick test results.
06
Save the tick at least until the symptom watch is over, in case identification is needed later.

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