As National Lyme Disease Awareness Month (May) comes to a close, and the height of tick season begins, East Stroudsburg University is reminding residents of its Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab. The lab tests ticks and analyzes the data on infectious rates and geographic impact. Located within the Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute at ESU, the lab has been providing free tick testing for all residents of Pennsylvania since 2018.
Historical data highlights the peak season of tick exposure is Memorial Day Weekend through July. Lab Director Dr. Nicole Chinnici says the lab tracks the results of submissions, including the types of tick, the disease(s) a tick carries, and the geographic location the tick was submitted from. “Current trends show this year’s tick activity to be higher than last year,” Dr. Chinnici said. “Additionally, 54 percent of tick exposures were reported from residents’ backyards while playing or doing yard work. At home, is where we most often let our guard down.”
ESU’s free tick testing service provides early detection for exposure to tickborne illness. Results are provided within three business days upon the receipt of the tick in the Lab and can be used by medical advisors for guidance on treatment and diagnosis.
Pennsylvania is endemic to ticks, with one of the highest reported cases of tickborne illnesses in the nation. While outdoors it is important to practice tick prevention, including wearing light colored clothing to easily spot crawling ticks; tucking pants into socks and shirts into pants to avoid ticks crawling under your clothing and attaching; using a repellent specific for ticks; and conducting thorough tick checks after being outdoors and showering within 2-hours.
If exposed to a tick, remove the tick with a fine point tweezer and place the tick in a sealed plastic zip-lock bag. Visit ticklab.org/test-my-tick to submit your tick for free testing. Residents of Pennsylvania receive Free tick testing services supported by a grant from the PA Department of Health.
The Pa Tick Research Lab also shares tick education, prevention, and information about tickborne illnesses, and weekly tick activity reports on Facebook and Instagram (@PATickLab.)
To learn more about ESU’s tick research visit ticklab.org or call (570) 422-7892. The Dr. Jane Huffman Wildlife Genetics Institute and ESU’s tick research lab are located in ESU’s Innovation Center, 562 Independence Road, East Stroudsburg, Pa.