Assessment of Duration of Tick Feeding by the Scutal Index Reduces Need for Antibiotic Prophylaxis After Ixodes scapularis Tick Bites

Richard C Falco; Thomas J Daniels; Vanessa Vinci; Donna McKenna; Carol Scavarda; Gary P Wormser

doi:10.1093/cid/ciy221

Assessment of Duration of Tick Feeding by the Scutal Index Reduces Need for Antibiotic Prophylaxis After Ixodes scapularis Tick Bites

Clin Infect Dis. 2018 Aug 1;67(4):614-616. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciy221.

Authors

Richard C Falco¹, Thomas J Daniels^{2

3}, Vanessa Vinci¹, Donna McKenna⁴, Carol Scavarda⁴, Gary P Wormser⁴

Affiliations

¹ New York State Department of Health, Louis Calder Center.
² Vector Ecology Laboratory, Louis Calder Center, Fordham University, Armonk, New York.
³ Department of Family and Community Medicine, New York Medical College.
⁴ Division of Infectious Diseases, New York Medical College, Valhalla.

PMID: 29579163
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy221

Abstract

Doxycycline is recommended for persons with Ixodes scapularis tick bites in certain geographic areas, if the tick had fed for at least 36 hours. Based on the scutal index, over 40% of I. scapularis tick bites from patients seen at the Lyme Disease Diagnostic Center did not warrant antibiotic prophylaxis.

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibiotic Prophylaxis*
Doxycycline / therapeutic use
Feeding Behavior*
Female
Humans
Ixodes / physiology*
Lyme Disease / diagnosis
Lyme Disease / drug therapy*
New York
Tick Bites*
Time Factors*

Substances

Doxycycline