The Middlesex Tick Task Force will present experts on tick-borne diseases and landscaping ideas to reduce tick exposure at “Let’s Talk About Ticks: One Bite Can Change Your Life” on Wednesday, April 30 from 7-9 p.m. in Brooks auditorium.
Dr. Alfred de Maria, an epidemiologist with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, who will answer questions about awareness and prevention of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease as well as babesiosis and anaplasmosis, two other preventable tick-borne illnesses. Kurt Upham, president of ohDeer Inc., which offers safe spraying for deer, tick and mosquito control, will discuss ways to landscape your yard to cut down on tick exposure.
Also at the event, Dr. Stephen Rich of the UMass Laboratory of Medical Zoology will discuss a new tick-testing program for some Massachusetts residents. Depending on what town you live in, if you’ve been bitten by a tick, you can submit the tick for free or low-cost testing to see if it carries the pathogens that cause Lyme disease, babesiosis or anaplasmosis. For more information, call the health department at 781-259-2614 or Lincoln Public Health Nurse Maureen Richichi at 781-259-9407.
The Middlesex Tick Task Force formed in 2012 with representatives from Acton, Bedford, Carlisle, Concord, Lexington, Lincoln, Waltham, Wayland, and Weston. The group’s goals are to increase awareness of tick-borne diseases in our towns, to educate residents about effective prevention measures, and to promote inter-town collaboration about these diseases in Middlesex County. The Task Force recognizes that tick-borne diseases are now endemic in our towns and that residents need information about effective prevention measures they can take to protect themselves, including knowing the signs and symptoms of disease, the life-cycle of the deer tick, how to do a “tick check” after being outside and to safely remove an embedded tick, and the importance of self-advocacy and early medical treatment for tick-borne diseases.
Leave a Reply