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    Researchers Study Thousands Of Ticks Collected By The People They Bit

    Researchers invited the public to help them study the geographic spread of ticks that carry pathogens that can sicken humans. People were eager to oblige by sending in the pesky bugs that bit them.
    by Erin Blakemore Jul 12, 2018 3 minutes
    Time outdoors leaves you vulnerable to tick bites and the diseases they can spread. New research seeks to a better picture of the geographic spread of ticks that carry dangerous pathogens.

    Could the tick that just bit you carry a pathogen that causes Lyme disease or another ailment? If you're worried, you could ship the offending bug to a private testing service to find out. But between August 2016 and January 2017, you could have gotten a free analysis by sending it to Nathan Nieto's lab at Northern Arizona University. You'd get back info on the critter that bit you and, if applicable, a pathology report.

    Nieto's project wasn't just a goodwill gesture: It was an unprecedented attempt to of their brief tick-collecting experiment Thursday in . They say it shows the potential of citizen science to fill in gaps in research—and that data gathered this way could ultimately help form a more proactive public health response when it comes to identifying and preventing tick-borne disease.

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