Marshfield Clinic Research Institute seeks ticks for study

Wisconsin Rapids, Wausau (WFHR, WIRI, WXCO)

The weather is warming up and soon we’ll be seeing more ticks. They’re already active and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute is asking you to mail them in. This is the second year of the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science aka TICS. This is an effort to identify the ticks that are found in Wisconsin. Researchers will use the information to assess the risks of encountering a tickborne disease.

Last year, over 6-thousand ticks were sent in from nearly every county in Wisconsin. More than 70-percent were the American dog wood tick and most of the rest were the deer or blacklegged tick. Deer ticks have a greater likelihood of carrying illnesses like Lyme disease. The lone star stick has also been found as well as the brown dog ticks. Previously, these ticks were typically found in warmer climates, but are now being spotted here. They spread diseases such as Alpha-gal syndrome also known as the meat allergy and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

You can request your tick collection kit by emailing the Institute here or by calling 715-389-7796.

“Lyme disease is by far the most common tick-borne illness in Wisconsin. Testing is important, because early treatment is highly effective in preventing later stages of the disease from developing,” said Dr. Thomas Boyce, a pediatric infectious disease physician with Marshfield Clinic Health System. “If you remove a deer tick that is attached and engorged, a single dose of an antibiotic (doxycycline) can reduce the risk of contracting Lyme disease ten-fold (from 3% to 0.3%).”

To reduce the risk of tick bites, spray insecticide such as permethrin on clothing, sleeping bags, and tent fabric. Wear clothing that covers your skin. Finally, have someone help you check for ticks after time spent outdoors.

The Marshfield institute provides free resources and information on Ticks and Tick borne diseases.  For more information and a tick ID card, visit their website, www.marshfieldresearch.org/nfmc/lyme-disease