Allegheny College, ESU lab partner for statewide tick mitigation study

Pennsylvania leads the nation in the number of Lyme disease cases, and evidence is showing that rates are on the rise.

In an attempt to minimize Lyme disease and other diseases spread by ticks, the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University is partnering with Allegheny College on a groundbreaking tick mitigation study.

It’s hoped that the research reveals how to reduce the tick population and thus reduce the transmission of tick-related disease, explained Sen. Michele Brooks, a western Pennsylvania lawmaker who announced the study with college research officials.

The state-funded, multiyear study will be conducted in Monroe, Lehigh, Pike, Bucks, Crawford and Mercer counties. As director of the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab, Nicole Chinnici knows that ticks and tickborne illnesses have been affecting residents of Pennsylvania for decades.

The most recent data, collected by the lab in 2021, shows how cases of Lyme disease are on the uptick.The illness, which is spread by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, was spotted in 39.7% of the 7,874 adult females tested, and 24.3% of the 5,847 nymphs tested, Chinnici noted. Blacklegged ticks are often referred to as deer ticks.

Across the region and between July 1, 2021, and March 25 of this year, 49% of blacklegged ticks in Schuylkill County tested positive for pathogens, along with 30% in Carbon County and 38% in Monroe County.

Untreated Lyme disease can produce a wide variety of symptoms depending on the stage of infection, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms can include fever, rash, facial paralysis and arthritis.

Now is the time when ticks are most likely to be around.

“Once temperatures are above freezing the adult blacklegged ticks become active. (That is) the March time frame typically in Pennsylvania but it can occur in February based on weather. May and June are the most prevalent months for tick bites from all types of ticks,” Chinnici said. Other ticks in Pennsylvania include the American dog tick and Lone Star tick.

And because of the activity, the lab has been seeing an increase in tick bite reports, Chinnici noted. Even so, there’s no way to determine whether the tick population is increasing, she said. Many factors play a role in the survival of ticks, including access to wildlife hosts, such as rodents, and weather.

“This funding (for the study) will allow our researchers to evaluate the use of tick mitigation strategies in reducing tick and tickborne illnesses in three regions of Pennsylvania, including the northwest” where there is a gradient of higher prevalence of tickborne pathogens, Chinnici said. “We are excited to be on the cutting edge of new research with the goal of finding the most effective strategy for reducing tick populations.”

For the study, research technicians will drag wood line areas with a corduroy cloth to collect any ticks. After that, they will set live mouse traps in wood line areas. Blood samples will be taken from the unharmed captured mice and ticks to monitor infections. Technicians will have equipment to vaccinate mice against ticks, which will also kill the ticks, according to researchers. The lab will also continue to offer free tick testing. It started doing so in April of 2019, and checks the critters for most type of tickborne diseases.

Anyone who has removed a tick from themselves is encouraged to place it in a plastic bag and mail it to the lab. Instructions can be found at Ticklab.org. Senders will receive their results in a few days. Since the lab began offering the service, it has tested 35,421 ticks, including 28,360 blacklegged ticks, 5,790 American dog ticks and 943 Lone Star ticks, Chinnici said.

In its most recent data from 2019, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found Pennsylvania had more Lyme cases than the entire nation. It logged 6,673 of them, almost triple that of second-ranked New York, which had 2,847 cases. The CDC estimates that a half million people will contract the disease this year. Currently, more than 2 million people suffer from chronic illness associated with Lyme disease.

What you need to know

It’s the time of year when folks are spending more time outdoors — and it’s also the time of year when ticks are most active, said Dr. Jeffrey A. Jahre, senior vice president for medical and academic affairs for St. Luke’s University Health Network.

“Ticks seem to be most prominent from May to October and these are the times that the transmission of diseases most commonly occur,” said Jahre, an infectious disease specialist. “We are in that season.”

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania has the highest number of cases of Lyme disease, which is transmitted by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Studies show that about 30% of ticks carry that disease. “Lehigh Valley in general as well as the Poconos are considered high risk areas,” Jahre said. “We are already seeing cases of Lyme disease.”

And as the naturalist for Locust Lake and Tuscarora state parks in Barnesville, Robin Tracey knows ticks are always active. “I’ve had several people have ticks on them already,” said Tracey, who leads walks and other outdoor activities at the parks.

Jahre explained that to spread Lyme disease, a tick typically needs to be attached to its host for at least 24 hours.

During that time, it feeds on blood, which causes its body to expand from the size of a poppy seed to a more globular shape. “If it’s not engorged, the likelihood is that you’re not going to have to worry about getting Lyme disease,” he said. Anyone who spends time outside should be vigilant.

When coming inside, they should thoroughly inspect their bodies for ticks. Jahre said the creatures tend to favor spots under the arms, between the legs, behind the knees, around the hairline and near the waist. They also hide inside ears and belly buttons.

“Of course, they can be anywhere,” he said.

When found, people shouldn’t burn them off or squeeze them. They should use a tick removal tool or tweezers to gently pull the tick from their skin.

“If it is engorged, or you think it has been on you for more than 24 hours, all is not lost at that point in time. There are prophylactic antibiotics that can be prescribed as a single dose that really cut down on the risk tremendously,” Jahre said.

He noted that the incubation period for Lyme disease is between 2 and 30 days. People often develop a growing rash that resembles a bull’s-eye target. They might develop fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint aches and swollen lymph nodes. Later symptoms might include facial palsy, painful arthritis, heart palpitations, numbness and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

Jahre and Tracey said prevention is key. “They recommend that you wear long sleeves and long pants,” Tracey noted. “Tuck your pants into your socks.”

People should also remove their clothing when they get home and wash it with hot water.

Those who spend time outdoors should treat their clothing with products containing 0.5% permethrin. It remains on items through at least a half dozen washings. He also recommended insect repellents containing picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus or DEET.

The suggestions, Jahre said, “go a long way in preventing tick bites.”

Reduce ticks on your property

Ticks are found outdoors in wooded and grassy areas, so there’s a chance that they’re living in your backyard.Since they can spread Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and a host of other diseases, odds are you don’t want them there.

Dr. Erika Machtinger, a veterinary entomologist at Penn State University, offered tips to make backyards unattractive to ticks.

Managing habitat is important, she said. Ticks tend to favor tall grasses and plants, leaf litter and places that border wooded or shrubby areas. “Keep the lawn cut short and cut back any tree limbs hanging into the yard from bordering wooded habitats. Ticks dry out very fast so if you remove these shaded areas that can help keep the grass dry,” Machtinger explained.

Perimeter sprays that are labeled for ticks can be very effective any only require two sprays per year, she said. A popular product is Bifenthrin.

But Machtinger cautioned that so-called “natural products” may require many more applications, can be toxic to many pollinators, and may not be effective.\

Tick control tubes and bait boxes can be filled with treated cotton that mice will use for nest material. The cotton won’t harm the mice but it will kill the ticks that attach to them.

People also might want to eliminate places where rodents can live, such as stone or log piles.

Machtinger also suggested moving swing sets, play equipment and lawn furniture at least 9-feet away from wooded or shrubby habitats.

“The best control is using as many of these options as possible — habitat management, perimeter sprays, host targeted control — in what is called ‘integrated pest management’,” she said.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Allegheny College, ESU Tick Lab partner for mitigation study