After a walk through the woods, it’s not uncommon to discover you’ve brought home a few companions: ticks. But instead of flushing these little bloodsuckers away, the Missouri Department of Conservation and a university are asking Missourians to mail them in for research.
Missouri is home to three species of ticks that bite humans, according to a release from the Missouri Department of Conservation. Many ticks carry bacteria which causes illness, like Lyme disease. The Missouri Department of Conservation and the Kirksville-based A.T. Still University are beginning a two-year long research study on tick-borne illnesses. To submit ticks to the university for research, put them in a plastic zip-top bag with a piece of a damp paper towel or cotton ball. Then, fold the bag and place it inside another bag along with a sample submission form, which will identify when and where the ticks were found.
MDC spokesman Joe Jerek says the department hopes to create a county-by-county map of common ticks and tick-borne-illnesses.
Mailing Address:
A.T. Still University
Deb Hudman, Senior Research Associate
Department of Microbiology and Immunology
800 W. Jefferson St.
Kirksville, MO 63501
Sample Submission Form and Instructions (printable)
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