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The State of Alabama Funds More Tick Research at South

Posted on April 14, 2021 by John McCreadie
John McCreadie

Tick on finger looking at dog. data-lightbox='featured'

Professor of Biology, Dr. John McCreadie was recently awarded a grant for $75,000 from the State of Alabama to study the distribution and prevalence of ticks and tick-borne diseases distributed in Alabama. The grant builds upon and continues previous work and collaboration with Mr. Joel Borden in Biology and Drs. Jonathon Rayner and Ryan Wood in the Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology at South which was funded by the State of Alabama for $135,000. The primary goal of this project is to produce a detailed understanding of both tick and tick-borne disease distribution in Alabama. The research team focus on 22 human pathogens and three common ticks known to transmit disease to humans – deer ticks, the dog tick and the lone star tick. You can visit Dr. McCreadie’s research page to learn more about his work. The surveillance program, which is currently the only state-wide survey for ticks, was established in 2018. 

 

You can help with this research by sending ticks to Dr. McCreadie:

THE GREAT ALABAMA TICK SURVEY

University of South Alabama

 

Alabama has experienced an increased incidence of tick-borne diseases affecting humans (ADPH 2017). Presently, the only state-wide tick surveillance program is based at the University of South Alabama. Given the size of Alabama, limited resources, and the potential importance of tick-borne diseases in the state,  I am asking the public for help. All it takes is to send in any ticks found on a person (or pets) while outside. Sending is easy, just tape (Scotch tape is best) the tick(s) to a piece of paper, put it in a sealed envelope and send it to Dr. John McCreadie at the University of South Alabama (mailing address below). Submitted ticks will be identified to species and this information passed along to the person submitting the specimen. The only information needed is the location and date when the tick was found.   

 

Dr. John McCreadie, Entomologist 

Department of Biology, 5871 USA Drive North

LSCB Room 124

University of South Alabama

Mobile AL 36688

(251) 460 6332

 

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