TICK REMOVAL

Course overview

TICKS ARE ARACHNID ECTOPARASITES OF THE ORDER IXODIDA. THEY ARE SMALL, HEMATOPHAGIC PARASITES THAT FEED ON THE BLOOD OF ANIMALS, INCLUDING HUMANS. TICKS CARRY MANY BACTERIAL, VIRAL, AND PROTOZOAL DISEASES THAT CAN AFFECT HUMANS; THE NUMBER OF SUCH CONDITIONS CONTINUES TO GROW. ADDITIONALLY, THE GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE OF MANY TICKS IS EXPANDING. AS TICKS ARE A VERY IMPORTANT VECTOR OF DISEASE-CAUSING PATHOGENS IN HUMANS, TICK REMOVAL REQUIRES AWARENESS BEYOND THE PHYSICAL ACT OF REMOVING THE TICK FROM THE PATIENT. CLINICIANS SHOULD CONSIDER THE TYPE OF TICK, THE GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF TICKS IN GENERAL, AND ANY NEED FOR FURTHER THERAPIES. THIS ACTIVITY SUMMARIZES INFORMATION ABOUT TICK IDENTIFICATION, THE TECHNIQUE OF REMOVING ATTACHED TICKS, AND INFORMATION ABOUT PROPHYLAXIS AGAINST SOME TICK-BORNE DISEASES.