Dwight Bowman, PhD, a parasitology professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, is conducting a study on ticks that have been removed from cats. Ticks can carry disease-causing pathogens, such as Lyme disease.
While it is still unclear whether or not cats are susceptible to Lyme disease from ticks in the wild, it has been proven that they can be infected under laboratory conditions, and some cats with symptoms that may be attributed to Lyme disease show improvement with therapy usually used to treat the disease. The goal of this study is to determine the types of ticks that are attaching to cats, how many ticks are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and where these ticks are located around the country. Contact fhcticks@cornell.edu if you’re interested in helping with the study.
