What's Bugging You?

 

Our lab is conducting a survey and you are invited to participate!

You are invited to take part in a survey to help us learn more about what people know and think about diseases that are spread by ticks and mosquitoes. This study is being conducted by the researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School on the Duluth Campus. The goal is to understand how people feel about these diseases and how much they know about how to protect themselves.  

 

What is the Purpose of the Study?

The purpose of this survey is to learn more about:

• What people know about tick and mosquito-borne diseases.
• People's attitudes about tick and mosquito-borne diseases.
• How people protect themselves from these diseases.

We will collect answers from Minnesota and Wisconsin residents aged 16 and up who visit the Minnesota State Fair or the Beltrami, Rock, and Cass County Fairs in 2025, as well as from those who complete the survey online at the Ixodes Outreach Project website. We expect about 1200 responses to the survey. These data will be presented at conferences and published, but not directly shared with participants.

 

What Will You Be Asked to Do?

If you agree to participate, you will answer a series of questions about your knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about tick and mosquito-borne diseases. The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete.

The questions will ask about things like:

• Your general knowledge of how these diseases spread.
• Your thoughts on the risk of getting diseases from ticks and mosquitoes.
• The actions you take to avoid these diseases.

 

Voluntary Participation

Taking part in this survey is completely up to you. 

 

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this survey or about your rights as a participant, you can contact us at:

• Email: smoni002@d.umn.edu
• Phone: 218-726-7911

 

Click here to view more information and/or complete the survey

 

Lyme Disease lecture at UMD today!

 Lyme Disease:  The Mystery of a Hidden Pandemic

Dr. Benjamin Clarke is presenting a live lecture this evening at the University of Minnesota Duluth.  This event is free to the public, although pre-resgistration is appreciated.  Free parking is available in Gold Lot A adjacent to the med school.  More details about UMD parking is available at the UMMS Classrooms Website under the Parking and Maps tab.

 

Lecture logistics:

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 
5:00-7:00 pm
Medical School, Duluth campus
1035 University Drive, Room 142
Duluth, MN 55812

 

Want to learn more?  

Check out this news clip from WDIO-TV on Friday, March 7th.

Tick Kits!

Last week the team was hard at work putting together tick kits! 

 

We assembled over 50 tick kits last week and will make more when supplies come in. If you are in the Minnesota area and want to send in ticks that you find you can either request a tick kit which comes with identification cards, a tick removal key, helpful information on ticks and their diseases courtesy of Medline Plus, as well as a small sample baggie and return envelope.

Alternatively, you can add hand sanitizer to a Ziplock bag and mail your ticks to us. Just be sure to include where and when you found your tick. You can address your ticks to:

Ixodes Outreach Project

University of Minnesota Duluth

Department of Biomedical Sciences/SMed 332

1035 University Drive

Duluth, MN 55812

More information on our tick kits is available at our website

Thank you to Katelyn France, Andrea Hille, and Zoe Quinn for helping to assemble the tick kits!

Post by: M. Bergquist

A little humorous; A little educational

Happy Monday Ixodes Outreach readers! The YouTube channel zefrank1 recently posted a video about Ixodes ticks — that is, deer ticks. You know, the ticks that carry Lyme disease. Defintely a chance to laugh while you learn about the life cycle of the Ixodes tick!

 

All credit to zefrank1 and those that provided the excellent videos of ticks through their life cycle!

Post by: M. Bergquist

High School Students Want to Know: Do all deer ticks carry Lyme disease?

Question #10

Do all deer ticks carry Lyme disease?

No, they must first feed on an animal carrying the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease such as the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus).  

When a deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) first hatches from the egg, it does not have Lyme disease causing bacteria in its system.  However, if at any point in its life cycle, it feeds on an animal carrying the bacteria, it can then potentially pass it on to humans the next time it feeds.

According to the Minnesota Department of Health, in Minnesota, about 30% of adult deer ticks ticks and 20% deer tick nymphs is infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Post by C. Fisher

 

 

 

High School Students Want to Know: Where is Lyme disease most common?

 Question #9

Where is Lyme disease most common?

 According to the CDC report Surveillance for Lyme Disease — United States, 2008–2015, "The majority of Lyme disease cases occur in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest regions."

The report provides the following table of high incidence states during the surveillance period:

 

* Annual incidence rates per 100,000 population were calculated by state using U.S. Census Bureau estimates from July 1 of each year. U.S. Census Bureau Intercensal Estimates (2000–2010) were used to calculate 2008 and 2009 incidence and Vintage 2015 was used to calculate 2010–2015 incidence.

 

Read the whole report here:

Schwartz AM, Hinckley AF, Mead PS, Hook SA, Kugeler KJ. Surveillance for Lyme Disease — United States, 2008–2015. MMWR Surveill Summ 2017;66(No. SS-22):1–12. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.ss6622a1

 

Post by C. Fisher