March 28, 2024

Take a Survey on Tick-Borne Illnesses

Tick-Borne Illnesses

The St. Mary’s County Health Department’s Summer Public Health Academy is hoping to get the community’s help with a survey on tick-borne illnesses. The health department and Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership are supported by MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital in Leonardtown.

The results of the survey will be used to help guide a public health project that will focus on infectious disease. The answers will be used to assess effective measures in spreading awareness of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases and conditions.

According to the Maryland Department of Health, reported incidents of Lyme disease has been increasing in St. Mary’s County during the past two decades. In 2000, nine cases were reported, and in 2016, 54 cases were reported. Calvert County had 66 reported cases in 2016, after a peak of 90 cases in 2015. Charles County cases have been more steady, but there were still 18 cases in 2016, after a peak of 65 new cases in 2012.

Please take a few moments to participate in the tick-borne illness survey and then share the link via your websites and social media accounts. The survey focuses on the awareness of tick-borne illnesses and whether people know the best ways to avoid tick bites. It includes questions about how much leaf litter is present in the person’s backyard, and whether the person being surveyed knows about the risks of tick bites and how to possibly prevent them. It consists of just six questions and takes only a couple of minutes to complete. Answering the survey questions will help the health department and health care community do a better job of educating the public on the prevention of tick-borne illnesses.

For more information and one-click access to a full list of resources available at MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, visit the hospital’s Leader member page

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