Tularemia is a disease that can infect animals and people. People become infected with tularemia through tick and deer fly bites, skin contact with infected animals, drinking contaminated water, inhaling contaminated aerosols or agricultural and landscaping dust, or through exposure in a laboratory. In addition, people could be exposed as a result of bioterrorism. Tularemia can take many forms and symptoms vary depending on how the person was infected. Most tularemia infections can be treated successfully with antibiotics but some infections can be life threatening. Steps to prevent tularemia infection include using insect repellent, wearing gloves when handling sick or dead animals, and avoiding mowing over dead animals.
Teton County Weed & Pest District (TCWP) is interested in collecting ticks that people may come across from anywhere in Wyoming. This collection method, commonly known as passive surveillance, is part of a large surveillance program to learn more about the ticks in Wyoming, such as tick species richness, diversity, abundance, phenology, distribution, as well as tick-borne pathogen presence and prevalence. The TCWP laboratory will be testing live, non-blood fed ticks for pathogens that can cause diseases in humans.
If you come across ticks and want to donate them to science, they can be adhered onto clear packing tape that’s folded in on itself, or then placed on cardstock or cardboard. Alternatively, a double bagged Ziplock bag or small container with a slightly damp tissue inside can help keep them alive for pathogen testing.
Submit ticks within a few days (if possible) via mail to:
Teton County Weed & Pest District
ATTN: Mikenna Smith / Laboratory
7575 South US Hwy 89
Jackson, WY 83001