Marshfield asks WI citizens to participate in tick study

Aidan Sanfelippo, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·3 min read

EAU CLAIRE — Ticks are a nuisance in the area either through diseases like Lyme disease, sucking blood, or even the crawling feeling they give when on a person. A new study seeks to learn more about them.

Marshfield Clinic Research Institute scientists are asking people to participate in the Tick Inventory via Citizen Science study. According to a press release by the Marshfield Clinic Health System, people can participate by sending in the ticks they catch, dead or alive, through the mail in a collection kit.

To get a collection kit people can reach out to tics@marshfieldclinic.org or call 1-715-389-7796 with the extension 16462. Nature centers and parks who want to offer these kits can also reach out to the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in the same way.

“This is an opportunity for Wisconsinites to act as citizen scientists and help us learn about ticks and their diseases, which can potentially help us better inform on disease prevention and early detection as well as develop improved diagnostic tools and treatments,” said MCRI Associate Research Scientist Alexandra Linz in a press release.

This study was started in Central Wisconsin, according to the press release, and is now expanding across the state.

According to Jennifer Meece, MCRI Senior Research Scientist and Executive Director, they started the study a month ago and have gotten around 600 ticks throughout Wisconsin. The two most common ticks they have been sent are deer ticks, or blacklegged ticks, and wood ticks, or American dog ticks.

“We encourage people to continue to send in ticks they find to help us find other — potentially invasive — tick species that may have spread to Wisconsin,” said Meece.

With changes to the environment, ticks have been moving to new spaces, said Linz.

The study will use the ticks to find out where species of ticks are living and if any invasive species have entered the area, according to the press release. At some point the MCRI also plans to study the microbes on each tick which could lead to more information on the diseases they carry, including Lyme disease.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website, the counties of Chippewa, Eau Claire, and Dunn had 150 to 234 reported cases of Lyme disease per 100,000 residents in 2022. Wisconsin as a whole had 5,327 reported cases and reports some of the highest numbers of cases compared to other states.

To avoid tick bites and see the ticks before they bite, people can wear lighter colored and longer sleeves and pants, said Meece. Checking for ticks and using repellent can also be helpful.

If people do get a tick bite they should take the tick out by grabbing its head close to the skin with tweezers, said Meece. They should “try not to squeeze” the tick and use antibacterial soap to wash the place where the tick bit.

Meece said blood tests can accurately identify Lyme disease after a few weeks after the bite.

MCRI has found that people in Wisconsin want to know more about the outdoors and “enjoy science”, said Meece.

“This study is a fun way to get people to engage in science in their backyard and their community,” said Meece.