Committee to Convene to Discuss Measures to Eradicate Ticks

Ticks are part of life on the East End. It wasn’t always so, but in recent years ticks have become the bane of dog walkers, runners, gardeners, hikers, bikers and anyone who likes to spend time in our great outdoors.

In the late 20th century, Lyme disease, or Lyme borreliosis, was recognized as an important emerging infection. Since its identification nearly 30 years ago, Lyme disease has spread and each year sees an increase in the number of cases reported in the Northeastern and North Central parts of the United States.

The situation on the East End has become so problematic that many families keep a supply of doxycycline in their medicine chests “just in case” they get a bite from a tick that might be carrying Lyme disease.

There are multiple types of tick-borne illnesses in Suffolk County including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports 300,000 yearly cases of Lyme disease annually, nationwide.

Suffolk County Legislator Jay Schneiderman has suggested an alternate to stockpiling antibiotics, wearing long pants tucked into socks, and avoiding long grass and untamed nature in general: A legislative committee dedicated to coming up with effective and imaginative ways to reduce the tick population on the East End and its attendant tick-borne illnesses. The committee will hold its first meeting at the Riverhead County Center on Wednesday, July 30.

“A primary function of government is to protect the health and welfare of residents of Suffolk County,” said Legislator Schneiderman. “This committee will help vector control develop a plan to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease and other tick borne-illnesses.” The committee is a brain trust of anti-tick knowledge according to a list of the participants released by Schneiderman’s office and hopes are high that they will be able to work as a team and send the ticks of Eastern Long Island packing to distant climes without municipal anti-tick committees.

The Suffolk County committee will consists of 12 eminent members, including its chairman, Dr. Jorge Benach, who is also the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases and Distinguished Professor of Molecular Genetics & Microbiology at Stony Brook University. Other members of the anti-tick committee include Dominick Ninivaggi, director of division of vector control, Dr. Ilia Rochlin, laboratory director of division of vector control and serving as a representative of Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone’s office, Brian Kelly of East End Tick & Mosquito Control representing Suffolk County presiding officer, DuWayne Gregory, Jason Hann, legislative aide to Legislator Schneiderman, Gwynn Schroeder, legislative aide to Legislator Al Krupski, Dr. John Rasweiler, representing Legislator William Spencer, Nick Gibbons, representing Greg Dawson of the County’s Parks & Recreation committee, Jeremy Samuelson, executive director of Concerned Citizens of Montauk—an environmental advocacy group, Dr. Scott Campbell, Shelter Island Supervisor James Dougherty and Dan Gilrein of the Cornell Cooperative Extension.