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Tick bite — RACGP Fellowship MCQ

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ModerateAboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, rural medicineTick biteRACGP Fellowship

A 41‑year‑old man presents after a tick bite on the leg while bushwalking in coastal New South Wales. The tick was removed intact. He has local itch and redness but is afebrile and systemically well. What would you advise?

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Correct answer: D — Clean the area, provide symptomatic care and explain warning symptoms that should prompt review

In Australia, Lyme disease is not endemic and cannot be acquired from a domestic tick bite, so routine doxycycline prophylaxis or Lyme serology is unnecessary. Conservative management—cleaning the bite, symptomatic care, and advising the patient to monitor for systemic symptoms—is appropriate. Excision is unwarranted, and rabies vaccination is irrelevant as ticks do not transmit rabies in Australia.

Reference: Tick bite diseases and symptoms attributed to tick bites – Australian Government Department of Health, Overseas‑acquired tick‑borne diseases – Lyme disease section, 6 June 2025