Spring is nearly here. And with it, comes tick season.

“They emerge from the soil and are actually quite ravenous,” Dr. Ben Clarke shared.

The immunologist and professor of biomedical sciences is studying deer ticks and the bacteria that cause Lyme disease at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth campus.

The goal is to help keep people healthier, by giving them more information about the potential risk of Lyme disease.

“It starts at your skin. And then it disseminates throughout your body,” Clarke said. “It can lead to all kinds of problems, like chronic pain, or even a heart attack. Some people even end up committing suicide, because they are so miserable.”

So he and students are looking at where the ticks are that are carrying the bacteria that cause Lyme, and why they end up with that bacteria. “It’s potentially what they’ve been eating,” he explained.

They’d like to have a comprehensive map about where the risk of ticks is, for those who love the outdoors.

Here’s what they have now: https://umn.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=c966e63eb69146d1a300d8fc885e7ad1

And another site to check out: https://ixodesoutreachproject.blogspot.com/p/about.html

You can see his presentation “Lyme Disease: The Mystery of a Hidden Pandemic” on Tuesday, March 11th, from 5-7pm. The University of Minnesota, Medical School, Duluth Campus, is hosting a Spring Showcase in room 142 SMed at 1035 University Drive. Parking is available in Gold Lot A. Registration is appreciated.

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