Please do not panic. Follow the instructions of the CDC on how to best remove a tick: click here.
We have also provided a safety instruction sheet on how to properly remove a tick which can be accessed through our How I-TICK Works under “I-TICK kit.” It is important to remember that not all ticks are infected with germs that cause disease. Each tick species is capable of carrying only certain germs so your risk depends on which tick bit, and how long it was feeding.. To learn about the most common ticks here in Illinois and the pathogens they spread, see How I-TICK Works page under “Tick Identification”.
Once you have removed the tick, you can choose one or both of the following:
Take a photo of the tick and submit information to the TickApp.
If you would like to save the tick for submission to the I-TICK program, other passive surveillance programs, or for your doctor in case of illness, place it in a ziplock baggie (or container that can be sealed) with isopropyl alcohol and put it into your freezer for at least two days to kill the tick:
If the tick was attached and/or engorged with blood,  Monitor the attachment site for a rash or signs of infection. If you start to feel sick and will be visiting your doctor, take the tick with you to the doctor’s office. While testing ticks for diagnostic purposes is not recommended by the CDC, providing the tick to your doctor can provide information to the doctor on potential diseases you have been exposed to.
If the tick was NOT attached, NOT engorged, or enough time has passed that you are no longer worried about developing a tick-borne illness and want to send an attached, engorged tick – see How I-TICK Works page under “How do I participate”.