Saravanan Thangamani, PhD, directs research of tick-borne diseases at Upstate

Since his lab began collecting ticks in July 2019, Saravanan Thangamani, PhD, has received more than 4,000 ticks sent by the public. Nearly 90 percent have been deer ticks, and about a third of those carried the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Thangamani discusses how to reduce the chance of being bitten by a tick, and what to do if you find a tick on your body. He also explains the work of his lab, including research into mosquito-borne diseases. He shares which particular animal gets bitten by the Lyme-positive ticks most often, based on his research so far. (Hint: humans come in second.) Click here for information on his lab and how to submit a tick. Click here for further information on ticks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.