The purpose of this program is to expediently provide tick species identification, engorgement level (a relative indicator of attachment duration which correlates with infection potential.), and analysis for the pathogens that cause the following human illnesses: Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and related spotted fevers, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus, said Nadolny. The Military Tick Identification/Infection Confirmation Kit, or MilTICK, program, allows active-duty servicemembers and DOD beneficiaries, including contractors and DOD civilians, to submit their ticks for identification and testing without needing to visit a clinic or even order a test kit.
#TICK IDENTIFICATION FREE#
If you do remove an attached tick this season, there is a resource that has been around for more than 20 years through the APHC Vector-Borne Disease Branch offering free identification and analysis of ticks that have been removed from human patients.
#TICK IDENTIFICATION HOW TO#
Instructions for how to do this can be found in the APHC resource library.
Nadolny says it’s always safest to remove a biting tick as quickly as possible. “Ticks can be very tiny, smaller than a sesame seed, and while the bacteria that cause Lyme disease usually take about 48 hours of tick attachment to transmit from the tick to a person, other pathogens can be transmitted much more quickly,” said Robyn Nadolny, Army Public Health Center biologist and chief of the Vector-Borne Disease Branch. It’s important for anyone going outside into tick habitat (brush, woods, tall grass, even yards and lawns) to do a thorough tick check of themselves and any children during tick season. Most of those new cases arise during the spring and summer months, when tiny nymphal blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks) are out biting people. Lyme Disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the U.S., with more than 300,000 new cases every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The incidence of Lyme disease in the United States has nearly doubled since 1991, from 3.74 reported cases per 100,000 people to 7.21 reported cases per 100,000 people in 2018. The life cycle and prevalence of deer ticks are strongly influenced by temperature. In addition to the longer days that come with spring and summer, the Environmental Protection Agency says there is evidence that climate change has also contributed to the expanded range of ticks, increasing the potential risk of Lyme disease where the ticks were previously unable to survive. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and active-duty servicemembers training outdoors as well as other Department of Defense personnel or beneficiaries working outside or simply enjoying the weather should be aware of ticks and the threats they can pose. – Longer days, sunshine and spring flowers are a welcome sight for most people, but what may not be as welcome is the beginning of tick season. (Photo Credit: Graham Snodgrass) VIEW ORIGINALĪBERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month and active-duty servicemembers training outdoors as well as other Department of Defense personnel and beneficiaries working outside or simply enjoying the weather should be aware of ticks and the threats they can pose.
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