Tick Education

Northern Wisconsin is an epicenter for at least 6 tick-borne illnesses that can cause serious and sometimes long-lasting symptoms. Many of our friends and neighbors have gotten sick from Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and other diseases while working or recreating outside. Warmer and shorter winter conditions are affecting how and when infected ticks spread their bacteria. Many of our friends, neighbor, and farmers have gotten sick from Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and other diseases while working or recreating outside. This program was designed for natural resource professionals, local health care workers, visitors, chambers of commerce, loggers, and others who want to understand and reduce their risk of exposure. Webinars are free and members of the community are encouraged to join!

Below you will find recordings of the webinars along with information on the speakers and additional resources for each topic!

1) Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases in Wisconsin – Recording

Friday, May 20th, 2022 from 8:30-9:30 AM.

Northern Wisconsin is an epicenter for 6 tick-borne illnesses that can cause serious and sometimes long-lasting symptoms. UW-Madison researchers from the Midwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Disease (Madison) will talk about disease types, prevention methods, and new research-based methods of monitoring and managing tick populations in our Northwoods.

Many of our friends, neighbor, and farmers have gotten sick from Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and other diseases while working or recreating outside. This program was designed for natural resource professionals, local health care workers, visitors, chambers of commerce, loggers, and others who want to understand and reduce their risk of exposure.

You can watch a recording of the webinar here

Speakers and Resources

Speakers

  • Dr. Susan Paskewitz is the chair of the Department of Entomology and director of the Midwestern Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease in Madison. Dr. Paskewitz is an expert on the biology and control of mosquitoes and ticks that transmit human and animal diseases including malaria, West Nile Virus, and Lyme disease. She and her lab conduct research and outreach to the general public with a focus on the development of pest control methods that are as effective as possible while minimizing impact on the environment in general. She is the Chair of the Department of Entomology at UW-Madison and teaches courses in medical entomology, insect pest suppression, and global health.
  • Dr. Xia Lee is a vector biologist working in Susan Paskewitz’s lab. His current research interests are in tick questing behavior and management of ticks in recreational parks and residential properties. He started working on vector-borne diseases as an undergraduate in Dr. Susan Paskewitz’s lab looking at potential biological control agents for the WNV mosquito in catch basins. He has a Master’s and PhD degree in Entomology from UW-Madison.

Additional Resources

2) Tick-Borne Diseases and Your Pets – Recording

Thursday, June 2 at 11:00 AM (Central time) 

Northern Wisconsin is an epicenter for at least 6 tick-borne illnesses that can cause serious and sometimes long-lasting symptoms. Many of our friends and neighbors have gotten sick from Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and other diseases while working or recreating outside. Warmer and shorter winter conditions are affecting how and when infected ticks spread their bacteria. Pets also need to be protected from tick bites, as these Warmer conditions are now causing pet illnesses in every month of the year.

You can watch a recording of the webinar here

Speakers and Resources

Speakers

Additional Resources

Ticks have become a major issue in Wisconsin in the last 30 years. New species are moving into the state, and it seems every year or two there is a new human disease that ticks are transmitting. Come learn about tick biology, disease cycles, personal protection, and things you can do to help reduce their populations. Presenter: Phillip J. Pellitteri, Distinguished Faculty Associate Emeritus UW-Madison Entomology

3) Tick-Borne Diseases: How to Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Them – Recording

Tuesday, June 7 at 9 AM (Central time) Northern Wisconsin is an epicenter for at least 6 tick-borne illnesses that can cause serious and sometimes long-lasting symptoms. Many of our friends and neighbors have gotten sick from Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, and other diseases while working or recreating outside. Warmer and shorter winter conditions are affecting how and when infected ticks spread their bacteria.

In this session called “Tick-Borne Diseases: How to Prevent, Diagnose, and Treat Them,” our guest speaker will talk about how to prevent, diagnose, and treat tick-borne diseases. This program is designed for natural resource professionals, local health care workers, gardeners and farmers, visitors, outdoor-oriented businesses, loggers, surveyors, and others who want to understand these diseases and reduce their risk of exposure. Programs will be recorded and posted after the event

You can watch a recording of the program here

Disclaimer: UW-Madison’s Division of Extension does not claim to be a medical provider nor provide medical advice. Our role as educators is to bring University, State of Wisconsin, and other specialists to communities to offer research-based information about topics of importance.

Speakers and Resources

Speakers

  • Rebecca Osborn, MPH, a Vector-borne Disease Epidemiologist at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Ms. Osborn is an epidemiologist in the Bureau of Communicable Diseases at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS). She conducts disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, and public health outreach for the diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes in Wisconsin. Before coming to DHS, Rebecca worked as a Wildlife Health Biologist at the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for five years. Rebecca has a Master of Public Health degree in Infectious Disease Epidemiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Biology from Colorado State University.

Additional Resources