In 2019, Vermont had the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the US.
Vermont has had the highest incidence of anaplasmosis in the US since 2015.
Project Description
Project Area
This project’s overarching goal is to reduce the occupational risk of tick-borne disease exposure in agricultural workers in Vermont. This pilot project will work with dairy and livestock workers in Southern Vermont. To achieve this goal, we have two aims. The first is to hold “Tick Talks” to discuss ticks and tick-borne diseases with agricultural workers. We will offer some education and hope to learn from agricultural workers what prevention methods they already use, what has worked for them, what sort of prevention methods they want to see, and how they deal with ticks on their farms. The second aim is to conduct a randomized control trial using Thermacell Tick Control Tubes in critical areas around farms (farmhouses and barns) to assess their effect on tick numbers and tick encounters with workers.
Project Goals
To reduce the occupational risk of tick-borne disease exposure in agricultural workers
To better understand agricultural workers’ awareness and perceptions of tick-borne diseases
To determine the effect of Thermacell Tick Control Tubes on tick numbers and reported tick encounters in agricultural workers
Tick Talk Topics and Schedule
Questions beyond what’s on this page? Get in contact with us!
Click the titles below to learn about each session; we hope you will choose any and all that are of interest to you!
Topics will include:
Tick-borne diseases in forestry workers
Rural living and Lyme disease
Pet ownership and Lyme disease
Farmers/Farmworkers and tick-borne diseases
Topics will include:
How long has Lyme been around?
Home remedies for tick removal
Home remedies for tick repellants
Topics will include:
How has Lyme changed over time?
Why has it become such an issue in Vermont recently?
Topics will include:
Will Lyme keep spreading?
What about other tick-borne diseases?
What’s happening with ticks?
Topics will include:
What kind of ticks to we find in Southern Vermont?
What kind of disease can each tick carry?
What are the life cycles and are they all dangerous?
Topics will include:
Where do ticks live?
Why are they moving?
When are ticks active?
Topics will include:
Why are ticks attracted to humans?
When are ticks active?
When are ticks most dangerous to humans?
How do ticks find their hosts?
Topics will include:
What happens when a tick bites you?
How do ticks feed? How long do they feed?
How do you properly remove a tick?
Topics will include:
How you can avoid tick bites using:
- Permethrin
- DEET
- Tick Checks
- Clothing Choices
- Post-Outdoor Activity checklist
Topics will include:
What is Lyme disease?
What are its symptoms?
What is “chronic Lyme disease?”
Topics will include:
What is anaplasmosis?
What is babesiosis?
What other tick-borne diseases are in Vermont?
What are co-infections?
Topics will include:
Did we used to have human Lyme vaccines?
Don’t we have a dog Lyme vaccine?
What is being worked on right now?
Meet our Team
