Letters

A tick should neverbe removed with the methods he describes. Infection, Lyme disease or other problems can result. An injured or dying tick tends to regurgitate your blood right back into your bloodstream — with its own nasty microbes, bacteria and viruses added to the mix. Please let Mr. Shulman and your readers know that the wives’-tale methods he described (burning or suffocating) can be harmful. Simple tweezers on the live tick are the safest way.

From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

What is the best way to remove a tick?

To remove attached ticks, use the following procedure:

1) Use fine-tipped tweezers or shield your fingers with a tissue, paper towel, or rubber gloves.

2) Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible and pull upward with a steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick; this may cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. (If this happens, remove mouthparts with tweezers. Consult your health-care provider if infection occurs.)

3) Do not squeeze, crush or puncture the body of the tick because its fluids (saliva, hemolymph, gut contents) may contain infectious organisms.

4) Do not handle the tick with bare hands because infectious agents may enter through mucous membranes or breaks in the skin. This precaution is particularly directed to individuals who remove ticks from domestic animals with unprotected fingers. Children, the elderly, and immuno-compromised persons may be at greater risk of infection and should avoid this procedure.

5) After removing the tick, thoroughly disinfect the bite site and wash your hands with soap and water.

6) You may wish to save the tick for identification in case you become ill within two to three weeks. Your doctor may use the information to assist in making an accurate diagnosis. Place the tick in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer. Write the date of the bite on a piece of paper with a pencil and place it in the bag.

—Sloan Fader Los Angeles

Weekly winners

The Weeklyhas received two first-place awards in the eighth annual Alternative Newsweekly Awards contest. John Powers won in the category of arts criticism (for his film reviews), and Max S. Gerber won the photography award for a series on L.A. scientists called “Microbats, Broken Skulls, Rocket Girls & Prehistoric Beach Bears” (http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/50/features-gerber.php). That piece was conceived by former Weeklyart director Bill Smith, who also received an honorable mention for his cover designs. With the two new awards, announced last week at the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies’ annual convention, the Weeklyhas now received a total of 29 first-place awards, more than any other member paper.