Tick check: Protect yourself from Lyme disease via this new website

The National Pest Management Association has launched a new website to help spread the word about the serious health threats posed by ticks and methods to limit exposure to the disease-carrying pests.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently increasing its estimate by more than 44 percent to about 476,000 new cases of Lyme disease each year – led the way by Pennsylvania, which is No. 1 in cases of the disease – the website is another welcome weapon to protect ourselves.

The website, TickTalk.org, includes:

“This may be the most comprehensive resource on ticks and tickborne diseases available to the public, and we are so happy to provide consumers with this repository of relevant and much-needed information,” said Cindy Mannes, senior vice president of public affairs for NPMA.

“With tickborne Lyme disease now diagnosed in all 50 states and more common than previously thought, we felt it imperative to create a one-stop-shop for all things tick-related, and TickTalk.org will now serve as that crucial resource to educate and inform the public on the health risks associated with ticks and the steps they can take to protect themselves and their families.”

In a recent survey among over 800 U.S. homeowners, commissioned by the NPMA and conducted online by The Harris Poll, 58 percent of Americans reported they have either seen a tick before or have had to remove one from themselves, someone else or a pet. Fully 19 percent of Americans reported they have only heard of ticks by name.

“Despite the prevalence of ticks across the U.S., many people chalk them up to just a summertime pest and aren’t aware of the true threats they pose to our health. The goal of this project is to provide consumers with an up close and personal look at the different types of ticks, their habits and how to protect against them,” said Mannes.

The NPMA, a non-profit organization with more than 5,500 members, was established in 1933 to support the pest management industry’s commitment to the protection of public health, food and property from the diseases and dangers of pests.

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