To begin, create a visible field by placing a white sheet around the placement area. Use a four-by-four inch gauze pad, dampened with clean water or saline, to clean the skin of the placement site. Pat dry the site with clean gauze.
Take the prepared containment dressing and remove the adhesive liner from the hydrocolloid side. Affix the dressing to the skin at the placement site. Break the wooden swab in half to expose jagged ends.
Now open the vial of ticks carefully. Use the jagged end of the wooden swab to transfer active ticks from the vial to the skin within the containment dressing. Then remove the adhesive liner from the mesh layer of the containment dressing, and close the mesh layer over the opening, ensuring the adhesive is securely attached.
Apply the prepared four-by-four inch extra thin hydrocolloid dressing over the containment dressing for additional security. Provide a water barrier cover and two inch hypoallergenic tape to the research participant. Periodically check the adhesion of the dressing's edges to the skin.
Apply additional tape to reinforce the edges as needed. Puncture holes in the vial cap using a 20 gauge needle if preservation of live ticks is necessary. Use nylon or polyester mesh and the cap to seal the vial.
Label the tick collection vials with the required identifiers. To maintain humidity, place the tick vial in a sealable bag with a moist sponge. Arrange white sheets around the bandage site.
Using alcohol wipes, carefully remove the bandage from the skin. Place the removed bandage in the collection basin and examine it for the presence of detached ticks. Assess the skin at the placement site for attached ticks.
Use fine tip forceps to remove the attached ticks. In the first human xenodiagnosis study, a total of 43 procedures were conducted. When compared to the number of ticks placed, the mean percentage of attached ticks recovery was approximately 45%
