Community members recently heard from a panel of experts discussing Lyme and other tick associated diseases, one of the impacts of the overabundant local deer population in the Hamilton area. On April 5 at the Hamilton Public Library, panelists cautioned that deer ticks are emerging now in the spring, and they can carry not only Lyme disease, but also nine other diseases.
Dr. Saravanan Thangamani, who runs the SUNY Center for Vector-Borne Disease at Upstate Medical Center, highlighted his work on tracking tick-borne diseases, and Dr. Catherine Cardelús, professor of biology and environmental studies, and director of the Upstate Institute, presented results from her lab on the incidence of tick-borne diseases in Hamilton, which shows approximately 70% of ticks collected in the village and Colgate forests carry at least one disease. Dhaani Dhaani, Madison County Health Department educator, and Hallie Koslowski ’23, who also served on the panel, encouraged community members to protect themselves against Lyme disease, including conducting tick checks, using tick repellant when hiking or spending time outdoors, wearing long pants and long shirt sleeves, and showering within two hours of spending time outside. More information on preventing Lyme disease can be found at the New York State Department of Health website.
“It is always tick season in central New York now, but spring is the worst time,” Cardelús says. “Given the high disease load of ticks in our area, please use preventative measures when you spend time outside. If you find a tick on you, remove it and contact your health care provider. Take note of when you were bitten so that you can monitor any symptoms.”
Colgate students and faculty have studied the impacts of deer overpopulation in the Hamilton area for 10 years and are actively working on deer management in the village and across Colgate forested lands. This decade of research was supported by the Upstate Institute funding through Research and Course Development Grants. Read more about the deer management project in Hamilton.