This series began from a simple question – “Does a mild winter lead to more ticks?” Health reporter Rebecca Smith had heard this question from numerous people in her life and throughout the state, and so, decided to take a closer look. What she found was an increasingly complex answer, which lead to an interconnected and varied series of stories on how ticks can impact the health of everyday Missourians.
“Be careful outdoors: Missouri a hotbed for tick-related illnesses” is the first piece in the series. It aimed to educate people on the basics of ticks, show them the prevalence of the diseases they carry and leave them with tips and tricks on how to keep themselves and their communities safe.
“Tick season poses a problem for Columbia's homeless community” is the second piece in the series. It aimed to shed light on an area of tick-borne/vector-borne diseases that many may not have considered – how do people who are unhoused and lack access to regular medical care and shelter avoid ticks and the diseases they carry?
“The way Missourians interact with ticks is changing: Climate change is one of many factors” was the final piece in the series. It aimed to take the conversation one step further – to look not just how ticks are impacting Missourians’ health now, but also prepare people for how ticks could impact Missourians in the future.
Above you can find the audio that makes up the submission for this category. Below you will see time codes to denote where each feature begins and ends, with links to the original webposts. You will hear short beeps to denote the separation between pieces.
[0:00.000 - 3:59.217] Be careful outdoors: Missouri a hotbed for tick-related illnesses
[3:59.217 - 7:59.026] Tick season poses a problem for Columbia's homeless community
[7:59.026 - 12:02.524] The way Missourians interact with ticks is changing: Climate change is one of many factors
Thanks for listening!