LymeAlert

THE TRUE PREVALENCE OF LYME DISEASE: Tick-borne diseases are becoming more common across the United States. A long-term study of thousands of black-legged ticks collected in five Northeastern states between 1989 and 2021 — Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, and New York — highlighted the growing threat. While the tick populations in these areas held steady for the most part, the number of ticks infected with one or more pathogens rose sharply. For example, the Lyme disease-causing bacteria was found in 19 to 25% of the nymphs and about half of all the adult ticks collected from 2017 to 2021, an increase from previous years. The researchers also studied other tick-borne pathogens that can cause illnesses in humans, including anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and hard tick relapsing fever. Check out the findings in depth by reading the complete study via BMC: https://lnkd.in/e8bqdEqa #projectlyme #lyme #tickbornediseases #coinfections #lymediseaseawareness #health #tickbite #medicine #chroniclyme #geography #science #research #morethanlyme #naturesdirtyneedle #babesia #babesiosis #anaplasma #anapasmosis #TBRF #relapsingfever

Children are at the greatest risk of contracting Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. That’s why faculty and students from Drexel University have designed an exciting new video game called TickAttack™ to teach players ages 8 and up how to prevent tick bites and avoid getting dangerous infections. Created based on input from medical experts, TickAttack™ uses mini-games and educational dialogues to spread awareness and combat common misconceptions about tick-borne diseases. The goal is to encourage young players and their families to adopt simple preventative measures to protect them from tick bites when they go outside. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eeSFEJSK #projectlyme #lyme #tickbornediseases #coinfections #lymediseaseawareness #health #tickbite #medicine #chroniclyme #parenting #children #family #videogames #games #science #research #news

LONE STAR TICK INVASION: Martha’s Vineyard has long been a hotspot for the blacklegged ticks that carry Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis, among other infections. But in recent years, the lone star tick has been spreading rapidly, bringing a risk of additional infections for residents, including alpha-gal syndrome, which causes an allergy to red meat and other mammalian products. Lone star ticks reproduce in higher numbers than blacklegged ticks and are more aggressive in seeking out their food. Patrick Roden-Reynolds, a researcher who has been studying the lone star ticks in the area, explains, “Suddenly you have lots of these ticks that are aggressive in places they weren’t before.” Learn more about the danger in this piece from the Vineyard Gazette: https://lnkd.in/egsS-5zr #projectlyme #lyme #tickbornediseases #coinfections #lymediseaseawareness #health #tickbite #medicine #lonestartick #alphagal #allergy #science #research

Curious about a career in research? 🔬 We spoke with alum Isobel Ronai for Science Careers Month, who turned her high school passion for biology into a thriving research career. Isobel's journey led her to Harvard, where she's now a Postdoctoral Research Fellow tackling the global health threat of tick-associated diseases like Lyme disease. Learn more about her story and the opportunities available at the University of Sydney: https://lnkd.in/gAhuSweq #CareersMonth #LeadershipForGood. University of Sydney Alumni

LymeAlert will be proudly presenting on the big stage at MIT's Kresge Auditorium on Sept. 6th as part of this year's amazing delta v cohort. We hope that you will cheer us on either in person or virtually! https://lnkd.in/eBrkaivG Brenda Ong Michelle Ewy Lewis Shotton #lymedisease #lymealert #tickssuck #lymewarriors #femalefounders #entrepreneurship #MIT #MITdeltav2024 #MITsloanfellows #MITSFMBA24

Ticks are spreading into new areas of New York City and bringing dangerous diseases along with them. The NYC Ticks research project, led by Columbia University researchers, which launched in 2017, has found disease-carrying ticks in 70% of the parks they have surveyed across New York City so far this year. Lyme disease is a high risk, but it’s not the only one to be wary of. The researchers identified four species of ticks — blacklegged ticks, Asian longhorned ticks, Lone Star ticks, and American Dog ticks — each carrying different infections. Learn more about the threat in this Gothamist article: https://lnkd.in/e-TUki59 #projectlyme #lyme #tickbornediseases #coinfections #lymediseaseawareness #health #tickbite #medicine #mentalhealth #science #research #nyc