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Ticks Still Threaten Central New Yorkers as Winter Nears Ticks Still Threaten Central New Yorkers As Winter Nears

By Ian Toner

Father Peter Worn: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.

Reporter: For the last seven years, Father Peter Worn has helped parishoners at St. Joseph’s Church cope with life’s trials. For the last two years, he’s been battling his own.

Father Worn: “When I’d have a funeral, particularly, I’d be really focused and working with the family and whatever. But the minute the casket went through that door and I’d close the door I would be ready to collapse…literally, barely able to walk.”

Reporter: Father Worn suffers from chronic Lyme disease. His symptoms, like frequent headaches, exhaustion and balance issues, have only worsened since his initial diagnosis. That’s made him reflect on how well he can continue to serve his parish.

Father Worn: “Would this parish function better with a younger guy with more energy?”

Reporter: Father Worn may have to give up serving his congregation. But across town, one research team hasn’t given up on finding ways to keep Central New Yorkers safe from the ticks that spread Lyme disease.”

Dr. Saravanan Thangamani: “So the majority of the ticks we got are from Onondaga County.”

Reporter: Doctor Saravanan Thangamani is leading a new study that asks New York state residents to mail ticks to his lab.

Dr. Saravanan Thangamani: Our primary agenda is to understand how the diseases are spread due to the tick bites.

Reporter: Every tick Doctor Thangamani’s team receives is a data point that gets logged by zip code, date and disease. The study kicked off five months ago, and more than one third of the ticks examined in early November tested positive for Lyme disease.

Thangamani:”They can survive in any condition, in my opinion, like even winter, harsh winter like Central New York winter.”

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The first official day of winter is less than three weeks away, but the dangers from disease-spreading ticks aren’t vanishing with the changing of the seasons.

That’s because ticks still hide around backyards and home foundations when colder weather arrives, according to Upstate Medical University Professor Dr. Saravanan Thangamani.

“Ticks are smart,” Dr. Thangamani said. “They adapt to colder weather by slowing down their metabolism.”

Dr. Thangamani’s lab is five months into a new study that asks New York State residents to mail in ticks collected from their pets, family members or yards. Dr. Thangamani’s research team wants to track tick populations to better understand how and where they spread diseases like Lyme disease to humans. The researchers log every tick they receive by zip code, date and disease.

“The majority of the ticks we got are from Onondaga County,” Dr. Thangamani said.

Thirty-six percent of the ticks Dr. Thangamani’s lab examined in early November tested positive for Lyme disease, which can be debilitating.

St. Joseph’s Church Pastor Father Peter Worn has suffered from chronic Lyme disease for more than two years. His body didn’t respond to the normal course of antibiotics he was prescribed after he was diagnosed. His symptoms have progressed from headaches and fatigue to loss of balance and muscle pain.

“There are times when I’m searching for words,” Father Worn said. “I’m just not as present as I’m supposed to be.”

New York residents interested in contributing ticks they find to Dr. Thangamani’s study can find more information here.

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