Rutgers scientists: Send us your ticks

They will test them for disease, map prevalence

By: Scott Fallon
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... Ever since Lyme disease was first discovered in New Jersey in 1979, scientists have tried to get a better handle on how prevalent that state's tick population is, where they're concentrated and what species are most dominant.
..... Now a team of Rutgers scientists is asking New Jerseyans for help.
..... The university's center for Vector Biology is launching a new program this summer [2022] that allows residents and visitors to submit tick specimens to help the Rutgers team track the population and help prevent illness like Lyme disease.
..... "This is a citizen science project and we're relying on as many people as possible to help," said Dina Fonseca, the center's director. "We want to know where they're encountering ticks in their day-to-day livers."
..... The website - NJ Ticks 4 Science! - asks people to send in photographs with some information on where they were found.
..... Within 24 to 48 hours, the team will send back information on the tick species, diseases associated with it and ways to reduce the risk of contacting illness. Scientists will also ask the person to send in the specimen so it can be tested for pathogens such as the one that causes Lyme disease.
..... The goal is to cerate a map on the website that shows tick and infection distribution.
..... This is the peak time of the year for black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, which pose the greatest risk to people. they are found in more domestic areas, such as backyards. They are currently in their nymph stage where they have already gorged on the blood of field mice which carry the Lyme bacterium and they will likely bite humans.
..... Northeastern states are usually the hardest hit for Lyme disease, with Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York often leading the nation in the number of cases.
..... The number of Lyme disease cases fluctuates from year to year in New Jersey. It has averaged between 40 to 60 cases per 100,000 residents since 2007, according to Health Department statistics. cases dropped considerably in 2020 but officials attribute that to people staying indoors or not seeking medical attention during the first moths of the COVID-19 pandemic.
..... Fonseca also hopes to capture information on other tick species, including the Gulf Coast tick, which has only been found twice in New Jersey. Its discovery occurred when a Cape May woman found an unusual-looking tick on her dog in 20187 and eventually contacted Rutgers. Fonseca hopes this new crowd-sourcing effort does the same on a much larger scale."We want to see if there is a population that's being established her in New Jersey," she said. "Fieldwork is great, but it's limited. So the best place to get that kind of information is form people reporting it in to us."

Lyme disease

..... New Jersey's rate of Lyme disease per 100,000 residents

* 2007: 36.1
* 2010: 42.2
* 2011: 48.3
* 2012: 40.2
* 2013: 42.5
* 2014: 37.1
* 2015: 54.7
* 2016: 49
* 2017: 57.3
* 2018: 44.9
* 2019: 40.8
* 2020: 27.6

Source: NJ department of Health

NJTicks4Science

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