The University of Connecticut Extension is seeking to reduce the risks associated with ticks and tick-borne diseases as they rise in Connecticut. With the expertise of Connecticut Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory (CVMDL), researchers are attempting to educate students on the fundamentals of ticks and how to protect themselves from the silent parasites.
The “Protecting People and Animals from Tick-Borne Diseases” Fact Sheet provides “up-to-date, science-based guidance” for students and Connecticut residents to mitigate the risks from this rising threat. It was written by UConn Extension’s new assistant extension educator for One Health, Sara Tomis, with the help of CVMDL staff Maureen Sims, Zeinab Helal and Holly McGinnis.
“We live in a region where tick-borne illnesses are a considerable concern for human health, including students,” CVMDL told The Daily Campus. “We have observed that a considerable number of ticks tested by the lab in the last five years were carrying Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Prevalence of Powassan virus, which is associated with impacts to the nervous and digestive systems, is also increasing in the state of Connecticut.”
CVMDL added that they do not test for Powassan virus specifically in their organization.
Tick season is usually from early spring to late fall. However, ticks do not just disappear during dormant months. Driven by factors like climate change, the rise of tick bites has increased tick-borne diseases. As climate change worsens, some ticks are no longer going dormant during the winter, the CVMDL said.
The symptoms of bites vary by species, and can include headaches, fevers, vomiting, neurological involvement and seizures. Ticks are most commonly found in tall blades of grass and provide an increased threat to those with animals, Tomis said.
“It is important to recognize that managing tick risk is something that requires a really integrated approach,” Tomis said. “If students have pets, have a service animal or work with the horses or livestock within the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, they should be thinking about how they are working with those animals and working to reduce the risk of tick exposure to both those animals and themselves.”
CVMDL’s process in tick research and testing starts with receiving the tick from clients and then identifying it, according to Sims.
“If the client elects to, we can test the tick for pathogens that it’s known to transmit. And then we report the results to our clients and then their veterinarians or doctors, and they’ll make the medical decisions based on our results,” Sims said. “We just provide information and then other people make the decisions on what to do.”
This article was edited on Oct. 21 to add context about the Powassan virus and correct the headline to clarify the UConn campus was not the main area studied by researchers.