Dill talks with BDN about ticks, testing, diseases
Griffin Dill and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Identification Lab were included in a Bangor Daily News article about ticks. The lab has tested around 2,000 ticks for Lyme, anaplasmosis and babesiosis since April 1. “Of the 2,000 ticks, we found that roughly 45 percent tested positive for one of the three pathogens,” said Dill, who manages the tick lab. “Around 38 percent tested positive for … Lyme; 8 percent for anaplasmosis and roughly 6 percent for babebiosis.” The lab plans to add more tick-borne pathogens to its test panel, according to the article, including Borrelia miyamotoi, a bacteria that’s transmitted by deer ticks and causes a disease that has similar symptoms to Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, which is being diagnosed more frequently in southern New England. For a better understanding of the types of ticks and diseases statewide, this winter, researchers will test ticks from every county in Maine, Dill said. “We’d certainly like to increase that field survey work to be more reflective of different geographic locations and habitats in the state,” he said, “so we can get a really good understanding of where these ticks are being found and can track them as they move throughout the state.” For more information, visit extension.umaine.edu/ticks. WGME posted the BDN story.