Date: Wed, 18 Feb 2015 07:53:34 -0500
From: Marcia E Herman-Giddens
Subject: saving ticks and TIC-NC
Thanks to Peggy Moody for her post about saving ticks. Anyone who has ever heard one of our presentations or seen it mentioned on our website, www.tic-nc.org, knows we recommend saving ticks. Her example shows one reason it is important. We recommend simply scotch taping the live tick (try not to touch it, use the same sharp-pointed tweezers you hopefully used to remove the tick) on an index card. That kills it at the same time. Then mark the date of the bite and body site on the card and mark 30 days from the bite date on your calendar. That is the period during which you need to look out for symptoms.
Using the index card system takes up virtually no room (keep the cards in a file folder). If your family members get a lot of bites, make a card for each member and year.
Please read our educational materials and newsletters on our website. You will learn what tick diseases are in NC, how to protect yourself, how to properly remove ticks, and much more. Join TIC-NC! We are a small all-volunteer 501c3 non-profit. We appreciate members and donations.
As a final note, it might interest you to know that in 2011, the state legislature abolished the state professional unit that worked to protect the public from diseases and other problems from ticks, mosquitoes, and other pests. The state entomologists were fired, ongoing education materials and research were thrown away. The state Department of Public health does still collect data on the reportable tick diseases as required by law. These numbers are at the beginning of all or our newsletters. Keep in mind that cases that get reported (many do not) and that meet reporting definitions reflect only the tip of the iceberg for the actual numbers. Sadly, TIC-NC is the main thing going now regarding helping the public with our severe tick issues here in NC.
Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, PA, MPH, DrPH
​Scientific Adviser
Tick-borne Infections Council of North Carolina, Inc www.tic-nc.org
1450 Russell Chapel Road, Pittsboro, NC 27312
Office 919.542.5573 Fax 919.542.5573