The length of the mouthparts is one factor contributing to how hard or easy it is to remove different types of ticks. Some ticks (notably blacklegged ticks and lone star ticks) have longer, straight mouthparts, while others have shorter straight (American dog ticks, Rocky Mountain wood ticks, Pacific Coast ticks) or shorter triangular-shaped (brown dog ticks) palps. A pair of chelicerae (pronounced chel’icery) are located at the tip of the hypostome the chelicerae work like a reciprocating saw to cut a hole in the skin into which the tick sinks its hypostome lined with rows of backward pointing barbs, which help hold the tick tightly in the skin while it blood feeds. When a tick attaches to a host, the palps fold back, exposing the hypostome (a tick’s mouth). The most distinctive components of the head are the palps and toothed hypostome, collectively called mouthparts. All ticks will be accepted for identification and degree of engorgement, but unengorged ticks will no longer be tested.Ticks have 2 distinct body regions, the head (capitulum) and the body (idiosoma). NOTE: As of January 1, 2006, the CAES lab will only be testing Ixodes scapularis (black-legged ‘deer’ ticks) that have ingested human blood.If you submit a dog tick, it will be identified as such and will NOT be tested, as dog ticks do not transmit Lyme disease.Your tick testing results will be emailed to you.Your tick will be tested at the CAES laboratory.Or mail your submission directly to the lab: Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, Tick-Testing Laboratory, Slate Building Room 112, 123 Huntington Street, P.O. Mail or bring the tick to Ledge Light Health District, 216 Broad Street, New London, CT 06320. Place the tick in a zip baggie (with a few blades of grass if it’s alive). After removal, clean the skin area with an antibiotic/antiseptic product.Using these products may delay the testing process. Do NOT use tape to ‘hold’ the tick in place. Do not apply oils, soaps, alcohol, etc.Remove the tick with tweezers or forceps.Please note the following guidelines for tick submission: However, in view of the potential human health risk, preparations are underway to test ticks for this virus, in addition to the other pathogens. Due to limited resources at the Tick Testing Program and a relatively small percentage of ticks infected, ticks are not currently tested for Powassan virus. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station accepts all ticks for identification but only tests engorged ticks that have a risk of transmitting the causative agents of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis to a human host. You can bring or mail the tick with the completed Tick Submission Form to Ledge Light Health District to any of our offices, and we will forward the tick for testing at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES). Ledge Light Health District accepts ticks that have been found on the bodies of citizens of our jurisdiction. Media campaigns – including newspaper displays, tv/radio public service announcements, pamphlets, banners and signs – that educate the public about Lyme disease and personal protection measures.Distributing Lyme disease information at local health fairs and public events.Maintaining demonstration gardens that show deer-resistant landscaping techniques.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |