Ticks a Growing Threat for Agricultural Workers

New research led by Mandy Roome, associate director of the Tick-borne Disease Center at Binghamton University, State University of New York, reveals that farmers and outdoor workers in the Northeast are facing an escalating threat of tick-borne diseases, which could be devastating to their livelihoods. While research shows that ticks are surging and spreading throughout the United States, and especially in the Northeast, this study showed that the threat is heightened for farmers, who spend a substantial amount of time outdoors in ideal tick habitat. This particular research documenting Vermont farmers’ exposure to ticks is part of a larger project aimed at testing environmental interventions that could help protect agricultural workers.