The Michigan DNR’s latest update includes information on a tick tracking app, something that should be of interest here on the island given their prevalence this year. The infor from the DNR follows.
Help track valuable tick data with mobile health app
Why is it that some people seem to come into contact with ticks more often than others? How can I avoid ticks? Can the tick that has attached to me transmit Lyme disease? With the goal of helping people get answers to questions like these and developing better strategies to prevent tick bites and tick-borne diseases, a team from the University of Wisconsin, Columbia University and Michigan State University created The Tick App – a mobile health app that both provides tips on how to avoid ticks and invites users to share information about their own tick exposure. Coordinators are hoping people who spend time outdoors will use the app throughout June to share details (and photos) about ticks they see, where they were and what types of activities they were doing. Besides being a handy resource for outdoor lovers, The Tick App also gives people 18 and older the chance to help shape a research study through true citizen science and the contribution of daily “tick log” posts. Download The Tick App here or through GooglePlay and/or iTunes. You can also participate through the desktop version. Questions? Send an email to TickApp@Wisc.edu or contact Jean Tsao, an associate professor in the Departments of Fisheries & Wildlife and Large Animal Clinical Sciences at Michigan State University, at Tsao@MSU.edu.