Tick Borne Diseases Task Force

Tick Task Force PhotoIntroduction

Pike County Tick Borne Diseases Task Force and the Pike County Commissioners have joined forces to help prevent the spread of tick borne diseases. Together, we will work to educate the public about the prevalence and dangers of tick borne diseases, how to protect yourself from becoming infected, and how to enjoy your time outside. The Pike County Tick Borne Disease Task Force is focused on decreasing the number of tick borne accounts by building community awareness through education, support, and advocacy.


Contact Info
Phone 570-296-3569
Contact Email bsnyder@pikepa.org


2023 Pike County Tick Borne Disease Task Force Meetings

The Pike County 2023 Tick Borne Disease Task Force Meeting Dates will take place at the Pike County Administration Building, 506 Broad Street, Milford, PA 18337 or VIA ZOOM due to COVID-19 Restrictions and start at 10:00 am unless otherwise noted, on the following dates:

January 26, 2023 Re-org & Regular Mtg.
February 23, 2023
March 23, 2023
April 27, 2023
May 25, 2023
June 22, 2023
July 27, 2023
August 24, 2023
September 28, 2023
October 26, 2023
November** – no meeting
December 07, 2023** – held early due to holidays

**The November and December meetings have been combined into one meeting held on the first Thursday in December. 

All inquiries, correspondence, or special accommodations to attend this meeting should be addressed to Brian Snyder @ Pike County Community Planning at (570) 296-3500.

Inclement Weather: A decision to cancel a meeting will be made by Chairman by 4:00 pm the day before the meeting date. If a decision to cancel is made by Chairman, our office will contact Task Force members day before the meeting. If we do not contact you and there is a weather event, please contact our office at (570) 296-3500 before traveling.

Email Brian Snyder for meeting login info.


Pike County Tick-Borne Diseases Baseline Study


Tick Information for Kids



Environmental Partnership Award
PEC Dinner TBD Task Force














Tick Keys
Information
Symptoms

The early stages of tick borne diseases are usually marked by one or more of the following:

• Fatigue

• Rash

• Red bull's eye rash (Not every time)

• Numbness

• Chills

• Dizziness

• Fever

• Unsteady Walk

• Headache

• Confusion

• Muscle and joint pain

• Forgetfulness

• Swelling in joints

• Disorientation

• Abdominal pain

• Mood swings

• Nausea and vomiting

• Loss of appetite

• Shortness of breath

• Weakness

• Palpitations

• Loss of coordination

• Swollen lymph nodes

Prevention
To help prevent tick bites follow these simple steps:

  • Wear light colored clothing to help spot ticks that have crawled onto you.
  • Walk in the center of trails to avoid contact with grass or brush.
  • Remove leaves, leaf litter and brush around lawns and houses.
  • Preform frequent, thorough tick checks
  • To repel ticks, use products containing DEET for skin and Permethrin for clothes and gear or use natural oils that repel ticks
  • Gear and pets should be checked for ticks before bringing into automobiles and/or home
  • When home, tumble clothes in the dryer for 30 minutes to kill ticks
Testing/Analysis

East Stroudsburg University Wildlife DNA Laboratory

Education
For basic information about Lyme Disease please click the links below:
Tick Studies
Committee Members
Committee Members
  • Commissioner Matthew Osterberg
  • Commissioner Ron Schmalzle
  • Commissioner R. Anthony Waldron
  • Rosemarie Schoepp (Chair)
  • Brian Snyder (Vice Chair)
  • Nicole Chinnici
  • Tammy DeLeo
  • Shannon DeVuyst
  • Mary Farley-Mell
  • Jill Gamboni
  • Krista Gromalski
  • Christopher Lordi
  • Dr. Cathleen Mattos
  • Dr. Robert Ollar
  • Ellen Scarisbrick
  • Kelly Stagen
  • Mackenzie Strunk

County / Task Force Liaisons

  • Mike Mrozinski
  • Brian Snyder
Links / Resources
Links / Resources
Tick Info for Children
Safe Steps Booklet