Louisville Metro health department wants your help to 'spot a tick and share'
The health department wants you to be a part of its effort to identify ticks in Jefferson County as part of its new "spot a tick and share" program.
"Any place that you go that is predominately green has high grass, you're going to run into ticks," Matthew Vanderpool said.
Vanderpool said he's seen and been bitten by a lot of ticks and has noticed the changing trends in recent years.
"We're starting to see more and more tick-borne illnesses," Vanderpool said.
It's something doctors are noticing, too.
"There are a number of types of ticks that have moved into the area that didn't used to live here and the number of the diseases they carry area little bit higher than what we are used to," UofL Health internal medicine Dr. Anthony Weaver said.
As part of the program, the health department is asking you to take specific steps if you've seen or been bitten by a tick.
"A small container with a tight-fitting lid, you're going to put the tick in that and then you're going to cover it with hand sanitizer, or rubbing alcohol," Vanderpool said. "What that does is it kills the tick and preserves it."
Then, they ask you to print and fill out this form and drop the vial off at the health department.
"That will allow us through GIS mapping to get a better idea of what parts of the county have a better potential for tick-borne disease than others and then we'll be able to get that information out to the public," Vanderpool said.
Environmental health specialists said ticks typically don't thrive in shorter grass but in the taller, damp grass. Vanderpool said if you have areas like that in your yard combined with small animals, you are more likely to have ticks in your backyard.
"You need to do those tick checks when you come in in the evenings or after those outdoor activities so that you don't have something on you for long periods of time," Vanderpool said. "The longer that a tick is embedded, the greater chance there is for them to pass on whatever disease they may have."
Diseases such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If you get bitten, doctors say you should monitor yourself for fever, body aches and rashes. Doctor Anthony Weaver believes this program is important because as scientists learn what ticks in the area are carrying, doctors like Weaver know what to look for.
"As a physician, I need to know what the possibilities are so I know what to treat," Weaver said.
"The submission form, the tick in the correct vial, all that stuff packaged together and then people can bring it down to the health department at 400 E Gray street from 8-5 and they can drop 'em off," Vanderpool said. "They'll eventually make their way to my desk and then I'll start doing identifications."
There are also posters at most of the Metro's 120 parks telling people to beware of ticks and explaining how they can submit a tick to the LMPHWD.