All the latest news stories from Tick Encounter Resource Center surrounding ticks and tick-borne diseases.
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RI Senator Jack Reed hosted a press event at Hasbro Children's Hospital
Date: 06.29.2010
RI Senator Jack Reed hosted a press event on Lyme disease prevention Monday June 28 at 12 noon at Hasbro Children's Hospital. Senator Reed joined URI's Dr. Tom Mather, RI Hospital's Dr. Jerome Larkin and Dr. Penelope Dennehy to discuss new efforts for battling Lyme and other tick-transmitted diseases.
Richard Salit from The Providence Journal was in attendance and has released an article on projo.com about the meeting, "URI scientist says expect fewer ticks, Lyme disease this summer".
Big Tick Gala Think TICK... Take ACTION! Award Recipient
Date: 06.10.2010
Thank you to everyone for attending the Big Tick Gala this year! Lindsey Sanford of Swansea MA won the 2010 Think TICK...Take ACTION! award for her community involvement and philanthropy. Her efforts helped raise $8,000 for anti-tick research and outreach in 2009 and she hopes to do even better in 2010.
Big Tick Gala is tonight! Final Silent Auction Preview
Date: 06.04.2010
June 4 has arrived and tonight is the Big Tick Gala! We're looking forward to enjoying a great evening with everyone. We've posted the final items for the Silent Auction so be sure to check them out.
Turn To Ten Interview Tonight at 5:30 PM
Date: 06.02.2010
Rhode Islanders, tune in tonight to the 5:30 PM Turn To Ten News report for an update from WJAR Channel 10 Health Check Reporter Barbara Morse Silva with Dr. Mather on the current state of ticks and how to stay safe this summer.
Big Tick Gala Silent Auction preview on Facebook
Date: 05.25.2010
From now until June 4th, we'll be revealing two items per day on Facebook that will be available in our Silent Auction this year. We've got a great lineup so if you haven't purchased tickets yet, there's still time.
Items will range from event tickets, gift certificates for restaurants and popular local stores, art and autographed memorabilia, tick prevention and tick-bite protection packages, summer vacation necessities and trips, and more!
Avoid Getting Tick-ed Off: May Is Lyme Disease Awareness Month
Date: 05.12.2010
VIV MAG highlights Lyme Disease Awareness Month in a recent wellness blog article ."May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, so we thought we’d share some tips for preventing tick bites this summer".
The article points out several very useful tips for preventing tick-bites this May and also for the remainder of the summer.
Hidden in the Leaves on RI PBS
Date: 05.11.2010
Hidden in the Leaves will air in its original format on RI PBS this Saturday, May 15, 2010 at 7:30 PM. Remember to check the new event calendar for up-to-date information on TickEncounter Events.
Hidden in the Leaves, directed by award-winning filmmaker Mary Healey Jamiel, is the story of University of Rhode Island entomologist Thomas Mather and his team's efforts to help people see the risks for serious tick-transmitted disease lurking in an increasing number of rural, suburban and even semi-urban landscapes in the eastern United States.
Hidden in the Leaves is also available for purchase on DVD by contacting the TERC Staff at terc@uri.edu. It costs $15 plus shipping. Proceeds help support tick-bite prevention programs.
Chronic Lyme Clinic in RI
Date: 05.04.2010
For several years, doctors and infection control specialists at South County Hospital have discussed the idea of starting a Lyme disease clinic to serve patients with complex health issues not responding to traditional treatment. Now the hospital has opened its Lyme Disease Clinic and begun taking referrals from local physicians. This isn’t a clinic for the person who discovers a tick or bull’s eye rash somewhere on their bodies and wants to start treatment for suspected Lyme disease. It’s for the patient with a case so complex "that they are not responding to therapies," [according to Lee Ann Quinn, manager of South County Hospital’s Occupational Health Services and Infection Control].
Big Tick Gala June 4, 2010! You're Invited!
Date: 04.27.2010
Friday, June 4, 2010, 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
The Botanical Gardens at Roger Williams Park
Hosted By Barbara Morse-Silva WJAR-Channel 10
Keynote Speaker Charles Ben Beard Chief, Bacterial Diseases Branch, CDC
Fun, Food & Tick-Tinis
Silent Auction & Raffle
Think TICK... Take Action! Awards
Interactive Informational Displays & More!
Did you miss the Big Tick Gala 2009? Be sure to check our 2009 recapof this great, annual event. The Tick Encounter Resource Center and NBC10 WJAR were pleased to present two awards at the Big Tick Gala 2009 to Peter Lord and Nate Miller. You can read more about why these two individuals were selected to receive the Think TICK Take Action award. Also, check out photos and summaries from the evenings events!
URI seeks nominations for 2010 'Think Tick, Take Action' awards
Date: 4.27.2010
The University of Rhode Island's Tick Encounter Resource Center, led by internationally recognized tick expert Thomas Mather, is seeking nominees for its annual "Think Tick...Take Action!" awards. The annual awards, which are co-sponsored by WJAR Channel 10, recognize individuals or groups that have demonstrated a significant commitment to raising awareness about ticks and their diseases or have taken noteworthy action to prevent tick-borne disease.
TickEncounter.org Widgets
Date: 03.16.2010
Spread the word about the Tick Encounter Resource Center with a Widget
TERC is providing widgets as pre-designed images that include an embedded hyperlink to a specific section on TickEncounter.org. The combined image and hyperlink act as a button or "widget". We have a catalog of several different widgets to choose from, representing different "drawers" in the Think TICK... Take ACTION! Toolbox.
The goal of the TERC Widget initiative is to make it easier for your web site or individual blog to spread the word about tick-bite prevention strategies and tick awareness.
New application: Tick Bite Locator©
Date: 12.17.2009
To prevent diseases like Lyme disease and others, you need to do a DAILY TICK CHECK.
Different species and stages of ticks tend to attach to the same places whenever they bite. The Tick Bite Locator© will guide you to the most likely spots on your body that you should be regularly checking for the different species and stages of ticks you might encounter.
You need to install the Unity 3D web player plug-in to use the Tick Bite Locator©. It is free to use and the install will take place directly in your browser.
Win tick-bite protection from TERC Contest!
Date: 10.02.2009
You could win tick repellent clothing!
The Tick Encounter Resource Center (TERC) “Think TICK...Take Action! Toolbox” is full of strategies for tick bite protection and disease prevention. But there are a lot of other things that people do to try and keep safe. We’re asking “TickEncounter” visitors to share how they keep themselves safe.
In partnership with Insect Shield Repellent Apparel, we're very pleased to announce this brand new contest open to everyone. To enter and have a chance to win, all you have to do is submit your answer to this month’s question.
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Submit a nomination for the Think TICK...Take ACTION Awards!
Date: 4.30.2010
The University of Rhode Island Tick Encounter Resource Center and WJAR Channel 10 Providence are honored to invite applications for the “Think TICK...Take ACTION Awards”. Awards are given annually in conjunction with Rhode Island’s Tick Control Awareness Day, to recognize individuals or groups who best demonstrate an effort or commitment in raising consciousness about ticks, their associated diseases, and especially taking action to prevent tick-borne disease.
Current Tick Activity in the Northeast United States
July update: Deer Tick Nymphs are now in their PEAK SEASON! 1 in 5 Deer Tick Nymphs carry a tick-borne disease It's especially important to take preventive steps this month. Dog ticks are still common. It's important to keep up-to-date with what ticks are out so you can take the correct preventive measures to stop disease tranmission!
Updated Tick Identification Chart!
We've added several new features to our tick id chart: higher resolution images, seasonal chart data, known diseases transmitted, and regional tick abundance combined with additional species.
Purchase Hidden in the Leaves on DVD
If you would like to purchase "Hidden in the Leaves" on DVD, contact us. The DVD costs $15 per copy, plus shipping. Proceeds help support tick-bite prevention programs.
The life cycle of Babesia microti
Date: 7.28.2009
Babesia are malaria-like parasites transmitted by blood feeding ticks. Take a look at TERC's 3 minute video on YouTube, demonstrating the life cycle of Babesia microti, starting in the blood of white-footed mice. Follow the parasite as it is ingested by deer ticks, and finally is transmitted to humans through tick saliva.
Animal Planet: Monsters Inside Me
Date: 7.01.2009
Animal Planet interviewed Thomas Mather from our Tick Encounter Resource Center for their series "Monster Inside Me". The show first aired on July 1, 2009 on Animal Planet. Dr. Mather will be included in the episode on Babesiosis.
Tick abundance in Rhode Island running 54% above last year
Not quite half way through the worst of the 2009 tick season, and deer tick abundance in Rhode Island is running 54 percent higher this year compared to the same time last year, according to preliminary results from URI's statewide Tick Encounter Risk Survey.
WJAR Channel 10: Pre-treated clothes can repel ticks
WJAR Channel 10 Health Check Reporter Barbara Morse Silva interviews Dr. Mather about the benefits of pre-treated clothes this month and throughout the summer.
"Ick....Ticks!" Girl Scouts Learn How To Protect Themselves And Earn Tick Control Awareness Patch
Date: 10.05.2009
Over 75 Girl Scouts earned a Tick Control Awareness patch during a Fall Fun Day on September 20, 2009, but more importantly the girls learned steps to protect themselves from tick bites and disease
Additional information as well as the patch requirements can be obtained by emailing the Tick Encounter Resource Center at terc@uri.edu.
Projo.com : "Through this URI entomologist, ticks talk
Date: 6.29.2009
The Providence Journal interviewed Dr. Mather about ticks and tick vaccines.
Tick abundance in Rhode Island running 54% above last year
Date: 6.24.2009
Not quite half way through the worst of the 2009 tick season, and deer tick abundance in Rhode Island is running 54 percent higher this year compared to the same time last year, according to preliminary results from URI’s statewide Tick Encounter Risk Survey.
WJAR Channel 10: Pre-treated clothes can repel ticks
Date: 5.19.2009
WJAR Channel 10 Health Check Reporter Barbara Morse Silva interviews Dr. Mather about the benefits of pre-treated clothes this month and throughout the summer.
Deer tick abundance in Rhode Island down in 2008, so why are ticks active now?
Date: 10.03.2008
Deer tick abundance in Rhode Island during the spring and summer of 2008 was down 24 percent from the same period in 2007, though tick counts were notably higher this year in Johnston and Coventry, University of Rhode Island's TickEncounter Risk Survey™.
Larger, adult stage deer ticks are back with a vengeance
Date: 9.15.2008
All ticks come in small, medium and large sizes, but autumn is the time that adult stage blacklegged (aka deer) ticks become active. People often think that bugs, especially bloodsuckers like mosquitoes and ticks, are killed with the first hard frost of fall, but that is just what brings adult deer ticks out in abundance. In the northeastern United States, adult deer ticks are likely to be the most common tick you encounter from October to April.
Five Tick Diseases You Should Know About
Date: 7.23.2008
Lyme disease isn't the only tick-transmitted disease causing concern around the USA this summer. In a recent article published on FoxNews.com, URI TickEncounter Resource Center's Thomas Mather helps journalist Marrecca Fiore (URI '97, Journalism) explain the regional nature of tick-transmitted diseases and what to look out for if you are bitten by a tick.
URI entomologist predicts early tick season, high infection rate
Date: 5.27.2008
A University of Rhode Island tick expert believes that several ecological factors are likely to make 2008 a big year for ticks and disease, so he advises Rhode Islanders to develop an action plan for taking appropriate precautions to reduce their chances of being bitten.
Time To Take Action Against Ticks
by Thomas N. Mather, Ph.D.
717,614 - that's the number of Rhode Islanders currently at risk for encountering a deer tick where they live. Officially known as black-legged ticks, they transmit Lyme disease, babesiosis and anaplasmosis. Lyme disease is the most common tick-transmitted infection, and now, in 2006, 68% of the state's population is at risk in their own backyards.
Larvae become infected this time of year from pathogen-infected animals!
Date: 9.14.2009
Tick bites are down during this quiet time in the year. However, learn why it's still a crucial part in the life cycle of ticks and tick-borne disease.
More Ticks, More Misery
Date: 7.29.2009
The New York Times has a story in their "Room for Debate" blog discussing whether the tick problem is getting worse. Read commentary from :
- Thomas Mather, professor of public health entomology
- Felicia Keesing biology professor
- Richard S. Ostfeld, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
- William L. Krinsky, entomologist
- Daniel E. Sonenshine, Old Dominion University
Apple Pickers Foundation donates $100,000 to URI to support public education about Lyme disease prevention
Date: 10.01.2007
A private charitable foundation based in Westerly has made a $100,000 contribution to the University of Rhode Island's Center for Vector-Borne Disease in support of the Center's public health education program for preventing tick bites and Lyme disease. The Apple Pickers Foundation, established by Michael and John Warburg of Westerly, made the contribution after meeting with URI Entomology Professor Thomas Mather, director of the Center, and learning about his numerous outreach programs aimed at reducing the risk of contracting Lyme disease.
Clothing-Only Tick Repellent Put To Test
Date: 9.07.2007
Try and picture this - 15 volunteers sitting in a room waiting for a hoard of tiny bloodsuckers to crawl onto their bodies. The study plan called for dividing the volunteers in groups of five - five would wear commercially treated clothing provided by Buzz Off Insect Shield, five would have clothing treated using an at-home treatment kit (Sawyer Clothing Only repellent), and five would wear untreated clothing. On the second day, each team would wear different clothing.
URI entomologist to test tick repellent by making volunteers squirm, Sept. 6 & 7
Date: 9.06.2007
Each volunteer to spend 2 hours with 30 ticks crawling on skin. University of Rhode Island tick expert Thomas Mather, director of the URI Center for Vector Borne Disease, and staff, along with 15 research volunteers (mostly URI students) will test the effectiveness of a "clothing-only" tick repellent.
A dramatic surge seen in the island's deer tick population, August 2, 2007
Date: 8.02.2007
Deer ticks are down in number to date this year across Rhode Island, according to sampling studies taken recently through the University of Rhode Island. Counts of the noted carriers of Lyme disease, however, are significantly higher in parts of Newport County, and in particular, Jamestown.
URI researcher : Tick abundance running below average in Rhode Island, but Lyme disease risk still high, June 21, 2007
Date: 5.21.2007
Deer tick abundance in Rhode Island is running 22 percent lower this year as compared to this same time last year, according to preliminary results from URI's statewide Tick Encounter Risk Survey. So far, the first of two planned samples have been collected at 40 of 61 sites distributed around the state.
He Wants Ticks To Be Taken More Seriously
By Andrew Rimas, Globe Correspondent Boston Globe
Blood-sucking insects weren't Tom Mather's earliest love. As an undergraduate in Pennsylvania's Muhlenberg College, he started his academic life as a history major. But the future professor of Entomology at the University of Rhode Island (and unofficial tick guru of New England) was looking for a nobler calling. "My parents left me with the idea that you should do something good for the world," he said. "So, it became my role to prevent disease transmission through the bites of blood-sucking insects."
Are you concerned about the serious health threat caused by ticks?
Would you like to make appropriate tick-borne diseases prevention programming more widely available? If you answered yes to these questions, please consider supporting the Tick Encounter Resource Center at the University of Rhode Island. Proceeds help support tick-bite prevention programs.