Vectorborne Disease Surveillance Program

From May to September, the Calhoun County Public Health Department participates in a vector borne disease surveillance program to obtain data on the prevalence of Lyme disease (transmitted by blacklegged ticks) and Zika-transmitting mosquitoes in the county. A vector refers to an organism that is able to transmit a disease from one living thing to another, such as mosquitoes and ticks. Obtaining this information will help the county prioritize areas of concern where these vectors are abundant and form strategies for their control.

Lyme Disease Cases in Calhoun County

Lyme Disease Cases in Calhoun County

The figure above shows the number of confirmed and probably Lyme disease cases in Calhoun County. From 2019-2023 Lyme disease cases increased by 253.8%, from 13 cases in 2019 to 46 cases in 2023.

Miles of Tick Drags

Miles of Ticks Drags

Tick drags entail dragging a large cloth designed to pick up ticks through wooded and grassy areas and collecting ticks manually. Black-legged ticks are the target species for drags and identification due to the potential to transmit Lyme disease. The miles of tick drags have decreased over the years. Once blacklegged ticks have been identified at a location, the vector surveillance program will not conduct future tick drags at that location, because there is known tick activity. The vector surveillance program targets areas with unknown tick activity to conduct tick drags.

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