Spotted Fevers (Rickettsia)

• It is NOT recommended to remove a tick using the hands, this could cause infection through the hands.
• You can contract Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and possibly other tick borne diseases simply by handling ticks and having their excretions absorbed through your skin.
• CDC states- "The hands of persons who might have touched the tick also should be thoroughly washed, especially before touching their face or eyes." https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6502a1.htm
• QUOTE- "Rarely, RMSF may be transmitted due to exposure to infected tick tissues. For example, such exposure may occur when removing an infected tick from a person or pet, particularly if the engorged tick is crushed between the fingers." https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/
• There have also been reports in which laboratory workers have been infected due to inhaling droplets from solutions containing the bacterium (i.e., resulting from accidental formation of aerosolized infectious specimens)." https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/rocky-mountain-spotted-fever/
• Rickettsia rickettsii can also be spread through contact with the tick's infected saliva, blood, bodily fluids or feces. https://www.msdsonline.com/resources/sds-resources/free-safety-data-sheet-index/rickettsia-rickettsii/