Legislative office has tick drop box for free testing
East Stroudsburg. Tick-borne illness is endemic in Pike County.
| 02 Jun 2021 | 11:21
PA Rep. Rosemary Brown with the tick drop box at her district office (Photo provided)
PA Rep. Rosemary Brown announced that her district office at 143 Seven Bridge Road in East Stroudsburg now has a drop box for ticks that will be tested for free at the PA Tick Research Lab.
“If you, a family member, friend, or pet have a tick on them, carefully remove it,” she said. “You want to do your best to not traumatize the tick as it could regurgitate more bacteria into you.”
Then, fill out the form at Ticklab.org and mail or drop off the tick either at Brown’s district office or the Tick Lab at the East Stroudsburg University (ESU) Innovation Center, 562 Independence Road, East Stroudsburg.
Last week, Brown spoke on the House Floor for Lyme Disease and Tick-Borne Illness Awareness Month. “As many know, I advocate strongly for early detection, tick testing, and education,” she said.
Tick-borne illness is endemic in Pike County. Pennsylvania’s largest-ever countywide study was recently conducted in Pike, where Lyme disease was found to be the most pervasive among the seven pathogens tested for, and 123 ticks were carrying two or more diseases. Lyme was found in 39 percent of the ticks collected, and babesiosis was found in 19 percent.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Avoid tick habitat, which can be found near the ground, in leaf litter, grasses, bushes and fallen logs.
Wear shoes, socks, long pants, and long sleeves. Tie back long hair and wear a hat. Light-colored clothing helps you spot ticks before they cause trouble.
Spray footwear with permethrin to prevent ticks from crawling up your shoes. In one study, those with treated shoes had 74% fewer tick bites than those with untreated shoes.
Studies show that repellents with DEET, picaridin or lemon eucalyptus oil are the most effective.
When outdoors, periodically inspect your clothing and skin for ticks. Brush off those that aren’t attached and remove any that are.
Once home, take a shower right away to wash away unattached ticks and thoroughly inspect yourself. Feel for bumps that might be embedded ticks. Parents should check their children.
Running your clothes in a hot dryer for 10 minutes will kill ticks.
Ticks can infect dogs and cats, too. Also, their fur can act like a “tick magnet,” carrying ticks inside your home. Consult with your veterinarian about tick-protection for your pets.