Tick question

[kristan]

I thought I had a mosquito bite a couple of days ago on my back. I didn't think much of it. Today I 'felt' something on my back. I thought it was dried food from my kids, so I yanked it off. It was a tick. It's probably been on my back since SUnday (I dropped my daughter off at camp and also weeded my garden).

It's been 6 hours since I pulled it off and it's still alive. My question is this: did I get the head out? The tick is still walking around in a baggie and I can see its little sucker things, but it's really hard to see a head because it's so engorged. Gross. This is all very new to me. We live in a very urban area where ticks are not that common.

I've placed a call to my ob-gyn about antibiotics (I am almost 37 weeks preg).

Thanks.

 

[midwestchick]

Do you have deer ticks in your area? Those are the ones that transmit Lyme disease - which is what I assume you are concerned about? If it was large enough to see to pull off and in the bag, it's doubtful that it's the deer tick - they are usually the size of a head of a pin.

I'm not an MD, only a vet, so I'm only partially qualified;-)

I'd still call your OB/gyn - esp. d/t the pregnancy just to be on the safe side.

Heidi

 

[chefkate]

Kristan, I would be WIGGING OUT doing convulsing jumps all over my house! YUCK!!! I have no idea what one looks like. Hope you get an answer from your ob.

 

[jodijodi]

Okay, I asked DH and his answer was kinda gross, but possibly helpful.

Someone needs to look at your back and see if you got the mouth parts off. If there is any black there, then the mouth parts are still there and you will need to see a doctor who can remove them. (Don't know if your Ob will be able to do it, might need to see a "regular" doc.) Based on your description, it doesn't sound like a deer tick, but if you live in an area where there is Lyme disease, you might need antibiotics. Again, best to check with a doc. Your Ob is a good place to start.

(Disclaimer: DH is a pediatrician, but we don't have Lyme disease here, so he doesn't really deal with it much. Best to check with a doc near you for the full story.)

 

[kristan]

Thanks for the responses. I did call the ob. He's not that worried. Lyme disease is pretty rare around here (Missouri). It's not a deer tick. I think it's a Lonestar tick. According to the dept of Conservation, it's the most common tick here and this thing has a little white dot on it.

Thanks for the advice. I will have husband look for mouth parts on my back. I can see mouth parts on the tick in my bag, so I think they came out.

Thanks again!

 

[ElaineP]

Just an FYI

Do not judge a tick by it's size.Yes Deer ticks (Ioxdes species) are the size of a pin head but when engorge with blood the tick can be much larger than a common American dog tick. The best way to tell would be to look at it's markings under magnification.

I believe a deer tick has to be attached to it's host for 18-24 hours to inject the spirochete that causes lyme disease. An antibiotic should be prescribed within 72 hours. Not sure if the antibiotic passes through the placenta or not.

We identify ticks on a dailey basis,in the lab I work at, as the occurance of lyme disease is climbing in our region.

Elaine