Stewart R L, Burgdorfer W, Needham G R
Department of Entomology, Acarology Laboratory, The Ohio State University, Columbus 43210, USA.
Wilderness Environ Med. 1998 Fall;9(3):137-42. doi: 10.1580/1080-6032(1998)009[0137:eotctr]2.3.co;2.
To evaluate three commercially available tick removal tools against medium-tipped nontissue tweezers.
We evaluated three commercially available tick removal tools against medium-tipped tweezers. Three inexperienced users randomly removed attached American dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis Say) and lone star ticks (Amblyomma americanum L.) from laboratory rabbits in a university animal facility using all tools during one removal session.
Tick damage occurring from removal and quantity of attachment cement were compared. No tool removed nymphs without damage and all tools removed adults of both species successfully. American dog ticks proved easier to remove than lone star ticks, whose mouthparts often remained in the skin.
Nymphal ticks were consistently removed more successfully with commercial tools when compared with tweezers but with more difficulty than adults were removed. The commercial tick removal tools tested are functional for removal of nymphs and adults and should be considered as viable alternatives to medium-tipped tweezers.
评估三种市售蜱虫去除工具与中等尖端非组织镊子的效果。
我们评估了三种市售蜱虫去除工具与中等尖端镊子的效果。三名没有经验的使用者在一所大学动物设施中，于一次去除过程中使用所有工具，从实验用兔子身上随机去除附着的美洲犬蜱（变异革蜱，赛伊）和孤星蜱（美洲钝眼蜱，林奈）。
比较了去除过程中蜱虫的损伤情况以及附着胶的量。没有一种工具能在不造成损伤的情况下去除若虫，而所有工具都成功去除了两种蜱虫的成虫。事实证明，美洲犬蜱比孤星蜱更容易去除，后者的口器常常留在皮肤里。
与镊子相比，使用商业工具去除若虫的成功率始终更高，但比去除成虫更困难。所测试的商业蜱虫去除工具对于去除若虫和成虫均有效，应被视为中等尖端镊子的可行替代品。
