Watertown native works to advance understanding of tick-borne diseases
Stephen M. Rich, a Watertown native and Massachusetts-based microbiologist, leads organizations focused on ticks and diseases they can carry, while local health data tracks several tick-related illnesses.
By the ClickNNY North Country Desk
Stephen M. Rich, a Watertown native, is the executive director of the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases and director of TickReport.com. He is also a professor of microbiology and director of the Laboratory of Medical Zoology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Tick-related illnesses recorded by the Jefferson County Public Health Service in recent years include cases diagnosed through blood tests. Lyme disease can also be identified by its characteristic bull’s-eye rash, meaning some cases may not appear in those records. Alpha-gal syndrome is associated with the Lone Star tick, which is not established in Northern New York but has been spreading in other parts of the state.
Reported by ClickNNY and reviewed by an editor before publication.
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