MDNews - Central New York

with prevention, as well as laboratory and clinical studies." ADDRESSING A GROWING CONCERN Investigating the rapid rise of tick-borne disease is one of the chief objectives of researchers like Brian F. Leydet Jr., MPH, PhD, Assistant Professor of Epidemiology & Disease Ecology in the Department of Environmental and Forest Biology at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. In his research, Dr. Leydet, who is also on the board of the Central New York Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Alliance, saw a spike in tick-borne disease in the region in 2008, an uptick that has not slowed. "If we don't think about stopping the spread of ticks in this area, then eventually, they are going to be everywhere," Dr. Leydet says "We will also see increases in cases of tick-borne diseases, like Lyme disease, Babesia and anaplasmosis, unless we can figure out vaccines or some miracle method to wipe out the entire tick population. Once ticks are established, they are very hard to get rid of. We need to stop these ticks from spreading, because that is what is bringing disease into new areas." In partnership with area infectious- disease clinicians and scientists also involved with the Alliance, Dr. Leydet is working to advance diagnostics and vac- cines for tick-borne diseases. "I cannot think of a place where this would work better than in Syracuse," Dr. Leydet says. "All I do is study tick-borne disease. The infectious disease clinicians are doing so many different things with patients and the local university experts have important insight into what is going on in the community. The Alliance will be a source of very unique information for patients and clinicians alike." A RESOURCE FOR THE UNDERSERVED Due to lack of access to financial and medical resources, tick-borne disease has historica lly gone undetected and untreated in underserved communities such as the inner city, another challenge that the Alliance is seeking to address. "So many families do not have access to the care they need, and when they are finally diagnosed, they are not covered by insurance," says Kathy Ruscitto, Vice Chair of the Central New York Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Alliance. "Early treat- ment is essential." Brandiss Pearson, LPN, Director of Community Engagement at Saint Joseph's Health Hospital, was recruited to join the Alliance as a board member and to closely connect with inner-city communities. "Underserved individuals are often not able to get the support they need," Pearson says. "My role gives me the opportunity to speak about Lyme in a way that I would not have been able to before." One of the earliest initiatives of the Alliance is a grant for outreach to those in the region's underserved neighborhoods. "It is perplexing to me that we fight mosquitos, treat EEE, yet we have no strategy for tick control, eradication or treatment," Ruscitto says. "Our goal in the Alliance is to help connect research, education, a nd treatment to help the residents of New York." To learn more, visit cnylymealliance.org. n Investigating the Offender SARAVANAN THANGAMANI, PHD, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at State University of New York Upstate Medical University and Director of the SUNY Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, leads a tick-submission program for patients who find a tick on their bodies. Through the Citizen Science Tick Testing Program, those patients may send the tick in so that Dr. Thangamani and his team can assess the tick for pathogens and gather data to better understand the threat presented by these arachnids. This robust gathering of information has already helped identify where ticks are most prevalent and offers patients vital information about whether they have contracted infections, including Lyme disease, Babesia and Ehrlichia. To learn more about Lyme education for healthcare profes- sionals, visit globallymealliance.org/education-awareness/ physicians-training-program. " It is clear that delay in diagnosis and initiation of treatment of Lyme disease can result in increased morbidity with increased risk for chronic symptoms. Missing a case of anaplasmosis can have dire consequences." — KRISTOPHER PAOLINO, MD, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE AT STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY Group presentation in Old Forge, New York (Left to Right): Kathy Ruscitto, Vice Chair; Kristopher Paolino, MD, MTM&H, FACP; Anne Messenger, Alliance Board Chair; Brian Leydet, PhD, SUNY ESF; Scott Santarella, CEO, Global Lyme Alliance M D N E W S . C O M /// M D N E W S C E N T R A l N E W Y O R K ■ 2 0 2 0 2 1

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