Orono, Maine-The University of Maine Cooperative Extension is the new home of the state\u2019s tick identification program. Portland\u2019s Maine Medical Center, which handled the program for 25 years, eliminated the service last December due to funding deficits.<\/p>\n
UMaine Extension\u2019s Insect and Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab, which identifies 3,000 plant, pest and insect species each year, will expand its services to compensate for Maine Medical Center\u2019s cut by creating the Tick ID Lab. The lab is expected to receive up to 1,300 additional tick specimens this year.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s going to give the people a much better awareness of ticks and how to avoid ticks in the first place. That\u2019s the big thing this portion of our lab will do,\u201d says Jim Dill, pest management specialist at Cooperative Extension.<\/p>\n
Last year, Maine had 1,349 confirmed cases of Lyme disease \u2014 a statistic that Dill says is increasing every year. By opening the Tick ID Lab to citizens as well as the usual doctors and veterinarians, Dill believes the lab can help provide peace of mind to Maine citizens.<\/p>\n
The Tick ID Lab can help clients determine if they need to seek help from doctors. There are 14 tick species in Maine, not all of which carry disease. Dill adds the Tick ID Lab can help determine if the submitted tick is one of the disease-free species helping \u201cease your mind or the mind of your doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n