A first-of-its-kind report on ticks and tick-borne diseases in Maine found that about 40 percent of almost 2,000 deer ticks submitted by volunteers and tested last year were infected with Lyme disease.
Incidences of Lyme disease increased in Maine in 2019 to a record 2,079 reported cases, eclipsing the previous high of 1,852 in 2017.
Researchers with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab, which conducted the survey, said spring and summer featured near-ideal conditions for ticks – they survive well in moist, damp conditions and go into a hibernation-like state or perish in extremely dry conditions. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by the bite of a deer tick… (See link for article)
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The online tick submission program will be shut-down until March; however, ticks can still be submitted by Maine residents by contacting the lab at tickID@maine.edu or by calling 207-581-3880. It costs $15 to have a tick tested for disease. The Tick Lab does not offer medical advice and recommends that anyone bitten by a tick contact their doctor.
Madison Area Lyme Support Group