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Three figures in white outdoor suits are crouched in the woods, inspecting a white cloth for ticks they may have collected.
After a study session, participants took to the woods behind Ohio University’s Zanesville campus to collect ticks that they would later use for DNA sampling. [Megan Acker | WOUB]

The Appalachian Ohio Tick Project workshop in Zanesville prepares teachers to train a new generation of tick researchers

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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – Kip Brady, a high school teacher from New Philadelphia, taught a class last Thursday that was a bit different from usual. Instead of high schoolers in the seats, it was their teachers.

The Appalachian Ohio Tick Project workshop was a masterclass in studying ticks. Participants — mostly teachers, but some graduate students and public health officials as well — learned how to collect, identify and classify ticks, before extracting their DNA to test for Lyme disease. 

A small tick captured during the Appalachian Ohio Tick Project workshop sits on a white cloth next to a pair of tweezers.
At this time of year, most ticks haven’t reached maturity. This lucky participant managed to find an adult. [Megan Acker | WOUB]
The workshop, sponsored by Ohio University’s Infectious and Tropical Disease Institute, was part of a larger effort. The tick project has three complete lab kits that Brady delivers to schools throughout Ohio so students can complete these experiments themselves. The workshop is designed to train teachers on the new equipment before they use it in their classrooms. So far, eight schools participate in the project, collecting and sampling their local tick populations before sending the DNA off to local labs for continued study. 

The real-world impact of this hands-on learning comes at a time when tick research is all too important. Lyme disease, an infectious disease transmitted by ticks, is on the rise in the United States. While there is no single tick population dataset, scientists suggest this increase is linked to a growing tick population.

The exact causes of this increase are debated. Brady suggests that human activity is largely fueling the spread.

“I think that it relates to land use. I think that humans tend to build landscapes that have a lot of edge habitat. We have forests but the forests are young,” said Brady. “All of those things add up to bigger populations of things like white-footed mice and short-tailed shrews … that are really the best places for these bacteria to hang out.”

The problem requires more study, which is why the tick project is so important. Not only is it contributing to scientific research, but the students benefit too. The research they’re conducting will be collected and published, making them accomplished scientists before some even graduate high school.

The achievements aren’t limited to academics, however.

“Kids get to be empowered to be the teachers of their community, and communities become safer,” said Brady. “They become more tick savvy and they understand how they can prevent tickborne illnesses.”

The Ohio Department of Health recommends people limit their exposure to tick habitats, check themselves for ticks daily, and wear repellant containing up to 30% DEET to minimize their risk of contracting tickborne illnesses.