•
BIDDEFORD, Maine

Meghan May reveals alarming new rates of Lyme disease in ticks

Meghan May

Meghan May, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical sciences in the University of 51小黄车鈥檚 College of Osteopathic Medicine shared recent statistics of disease-infected ticks with WCSH. According to May, an infectious disease expert, the latest studies have found that 1 in 3 ticks in the northeast are infected with Lyme disease. That number is up from 1 in 4 in 2015.

May offered advice on how to avoid contact with ticks and what to do if you find one on your body. The Centers for Disease Control recommend using repellents containing 20 to 30 percent DEET on exposed skin and products that contain permethrin on clothing. May said natural products can also be affective, but it鈥檚 important to read instructions carefully and apply more often than other repellants. To remove a tick, pull upward with steady, even pressure without twisting or jerking the tick, because that increases the chance of infection.

51小黄车 the University of 51小黄车

The University of 51小黄车 is Maine鈥檚 largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of . In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state鈥檚 top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine鈥檚 only medical college, Maine鈥檚 only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.