County News

County Executive Bellone Announces 2019 Tick-Bite Prevention Education and Awareness Campaign

County Executive Announces More Than 20 Informational Sessions at Libraries Across Suffolk County

10 July 2019
Author: Steven.Burkhart@suffolkcountyny.gov
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SuffolkSHARE Public Health Partnership to Expand Under Suffolk311

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today announced the Suffolk County Department of Health Services 2019 Tick Bite Prevention Education Campaign to help educate school-age children and parents about preventive measures they can take to reduce the risk of tick bites. The campaign, targeting children at K-12 schools, camps, summer programs, beaches and parks, was devised under Suffolk County’s Shared Services Initiative and offers the opportunity for residents to learn from experts how to protect themselves from illness caused by tick bites.

“This shared services initiative is another example of how local governments can leverage their resources to address a regional public health issue,” said County Executive Bellone. “I thank our partner municipalities for their commitment to advancing research of tick-borne illness and developing preventative strategies to safeguard residents.”

Dr. James Tomarken, Suffolk County Department of Health Services Commissioner, said: “To reduce the risk of tick-borne diseases, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention promotes public education. In addition to our seasonal outreach, the Tick Bite Prevention Education Campaign includes a Tick-Borne Disease newsletter and PowerPoint slide presentation in both English and Spanish, all of which can be downloaded from our website and distributed or used for educational purposes. These educational materials are quite popular and, remarkably, the Tick-Borne Disease Presentation was even requested by Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, Barnstable, Massachusetts for use in their educational outreach.”

Throughout the summer, Suffolk County health department staff will be holding Tick-Talk presentations at 10 local libraries and will be disseminating information about ticks and the diseases they cause at an additional 14 libraries throughout Suffolk County. Participants will learn about the variety of ticks found in Suffolk County, the diseases caused by ticks, protective measures that prevent tick bites, proper tick removal techniques, and steps to take if bitten. A listing of dates and times for participating local libraries is below. Additionally, to raise awareness in Suffolk County’s outdoor venues, health department staff has acquired and delivered 500 CDC Tick Awareness Trail Signs to Suffolk County Parks.

Simultaneously, as part of the Suffolk County’s ongoing campaign, health educators will continue teaching children at K-12 schools, camps, summer programs, beaches and parks about tick-bite prevention. Last summer health department staff conducted 30 public forums, reaching approximately 549 adults and 488 children and assisted with the distribution of educational materials to legislative offices, county parks, and town halls.

Earlier this year, County Executive Bellone launched the SuffolkShare Public Health Partnership under the Suffolk County Shared Services Initiative to provide a platform for local governments to work together to combat ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Currently there are eight villages and two towns, working in conjunction with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services and the Suffolk County Department of Public Works Vector Control to share resources, data and vector control analyses.

The partnership has met several times and begun reviewing new data and information on the state of the tick population in Suffolk County. Additionally, the group is engaging with outside research specialists to assist and provide guidance to this collaborative effort.

Public and Community Education

Experts from Suffolk County Department of Health Services and Public Works Division of Vector Control worked with Village of Bellport officials to provide a public information session to residents on protection against ticks and landscaping and environmental controls that can keep ticks at a distance.

Research, Mitigation and Data Sharing

Suffolk County Department of Public Works has proposed legislative approval of a $280,000 mitigation project at Indian Island County Park, in which measures would be studied, data collected, and information shared with participating towns and villages to create and refine best practices and activities. Villages and towns have begun planning cooperative procurements of tick mitigation equipment and materials to reduce costs and better sustain projects and activities.

Suffolk County 311 will begin providing up-to-date information to callers on tick avoidance, protection and responding to bites, as well as to collect information from residents seeking to provide locations of active tick locations. Data will be shared with impacted local governments.

Among the diseases carried by ticks on Long Island are Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. In 2017, Suffolk County reported 523 cases of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease in the country. However, the number of cases of tick-borne diseases reported to New York State may not reflect the total number of cases as it is likely that there are many more cases that go undiagnosed for a variety of reasons.

The Suffolk County Department of Health Services collaborates with Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center to promote tick-bite prevention and disseminate information about tick-borne diseases. Residents who have questions about tick-borne diseases are advised to contact the Stony Brook Southampton Hospital Tick-Borne Disease Resource Center Help Line at (631) 726-TICK.

Suffolk County Summer 2019 Tick Talks

Hampton Bays Public Library

Thursday, July 11. 2019, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

52 Ponquogue Ave., Hampton Bays, NY 11946

Preregister: (631) 728-6241

Riverhead Free Library

Monday, July 15, 2019, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

330 Court St., Riverhead, NY 11901

Preregister: (631) 727-3228

East Islip Public Library

Tuesday, July 16, 2019, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

381 East Main St., East Islip, NY 11730

Preregister: (631) 581-9200

Cold Spring Harbor East Islip Public Library

Thursday, July 18, 2019, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

95 Harbor Road, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724

Preregister: (631) 692-6820

Cutchogue New Suffolk Free Library

Tuesday, July 23, 2019, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

27550 Main Rd., Cutchogue, NY 11935

Preregister: (631)734-6360

Southold Free Library

(at Southold Presbyterian Church)

Thursday, August 1, 2019, 7:00- 8:30 p.m.

53705 Main RdSouthold, NY 11971

Preregister: (631) 765-2077

West Babylon Public Library

Monday, August 19, 2019, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

211 NY-109, West Babylon, NY 11704

Preregister: (631) 669-5445

John Jermain Memorial Library

September 9, 2019, 5:30 - 7:00 p.m.

201 Main St., Sag Harbor, NY 11963

Preregister: (631)725-0049

Islip Public Library

Thursday, September 26, 2019, 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.

71 Monell Ave., Islip, NY 11776

Preregister: (631) 581-5933

Suffolk County Tick Tabling Events 2019

North Babylon Public Library

Monday, June 24, 2019, 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

815 Deer Park Ave, North Babylon, NY 11703

(631) 669-4020

West Babylon Public Library

Wednesday, June 26, 2019, 10:00- 1:00 p.m.

211 NY-109, West Babylon, NY 11704

(631) 669-5445

Sachem Public Library

Friday, June 28, 2019, 12:00 - 3:00 p.m.

150 Holbrook Rd., Holbrook, NY 11741

(631) 588-5024

South Country Library

Monday, July 8, 2019, 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

22 Station Rd., Bellport, NY 11755

(631) 286-0818

Copiague Memorial Library

Wednesday, July 10, 2019, 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

50 Deauville Blvd., Copiague, NY 11726

(631) 691-1111

Huntington Public Library- Main Branch

Thursday, July 11, 2019, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

338 Main St., Huntington, NY 11743

(631) 427-5165

Westhampton Free Library

Friday, July 12, 2019, 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Friday, July 26, 2019, 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach, NY 11978

(631) 288-3335

Huntington Public Library- Station Branch

Thursday, July 18, 2019, 10:00 a.m.- 12:00 p.m.

1335 New York Ave., Huntington, NY 11743

(631) 421-5053

Westhampton Free Library

Friday, July 12, 2019, 9:30- 1:00 p.m.

Friday, July 26, 2019, 9:30- 1:00 p.m.

7 Library Ave., Westhampton Beach, NY 11978

(631) 288-3335

Amityville Public Library

July 17, 2019, 12-3 p.m.

19 John Street

Amityville, NY 11701

(631) 264-0567

Huntington Public Library- Station Branch

Thursday, July 18, 2019, 10:00- 12:00 p.m.

1335 New York Ave

Huntington, NY 11743

(631) 421-5053

Connetquot Public Library

Monday, July 22, 2019, 1:00 - 4:00 p.m.

760 Ocean Ave., Bohemia, NY 11716

(631) 567-5079

Islip Public Library

Monday, August 5, 2019, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

71 Monell Ave., Islip, NY 11776

(631) 581-5933

Northport- East Northport Library

Tuesday, August 6, 2019, 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

151 Laurel Ave., Northport, NY 11768

(631) 261- 6930

East Northport Public Library

Wednesday, August 7, 2109, 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m.

185 Larkfield Rd., East Northport, NY 11731

(631) 261-6930

Comsewogue Public Library