Reports Of Lyme-Carrying Deer Ticks Doubles This Year

By Jan Howard

Director of Health Donna McCarthy reported this week that 42 percent of deer ticks submitted to the Newtown District Department of Health by local residents have tested positive for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.

The number of ticks turned in to the department is 100 percent higher than this time last year, she said during a special meeting of the Department of Health on June 25 at Canaan House.

 “There are larger numbers because of more awareness by the public,” Ms McCarthy said. “People are doing daily tick checks.”

She emphasized the need for people to protect themselves when exposed to ticks. She said the larger number of ticks received by the department is because people are more aware of its services.

She said in cases of positive results people are contacted by phone. Results of tests are also listed on the Health Department’s web page.

“This is not a diagnostic tool,” Ms McCarthy emphasized. “People often get Lyme disease from a tick they didn’t see.”

She said ticks have been received from all areas of town.

First Selectman Herb Rosenthal noted the town has paid for bait boxes that have been installed at Dickinson and Treadwell parks. He said one spraying instead of two would now be required, which would offset the cost of the bait boxes.

The bait boxes, the Maxforce Tick Management System, are used to kill ticks on mice and chipmunks to reduce the tick population that causes Lyme disease.

The Lyme Disease Task Force has begun a fundraising effort to raise funds to help pay for bait boxes recently installed at two of the elementary schools and for future installation at other schools.

In regard to the West Nile strain of encephalitis, Ms McCarthy noted that dead bird sightings are down from last year. Dead birds, such as crows, must be reported even if they are not collected, she added.

She said that mosquitoes are trapped at one monitoring station in Newtown and analyzed for the virus on a weekly basis.

“I encourage people when they see a dead crow to report it right away,” she said, adding if it sits for a couple of days it is not suitable for testing for West Nile.

The Public Works Department coordinates the distribution of larvicide to catch basins, she said.

 In other business, the Health District Board of Directors set September 21 as the date for the ninth annual Newtown Health and Safety Fair. The co-chairmen are Ms McCarthy, Dr Della Schmid, and Mae Schmidle.

It was noted that additional publicity is needed for the annual event, including posters, TV, and newspapers.

The Board of Directors also approved the creation of an administrative assistant position in the Health Department and adoption of the job description. The salary is yet to be negotiated.

The former position held by Ms McCarthy, director of environmental health, has not been filled and may not be pending additional analysis. “Another sanitarian position is needed,” Ms McCarthy said. “I want to give more public health services to the town.”