For More Information:

William R. Steinhaus
Dutchess County Executive
(845) 486-2000 countyexec@co.dutchess.ny.us

Michael Caldwell, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Health,  (845) 486-3432 Fax: (845) 486-3432, info@health.co.dutchess.ny.us
 

Poughkeepsie… County Executive William R. Steinhaus has announced the signing of an agreement between the American Lyme Disease Foundation, Inc. (ALDF) and the Dutchess County Department of Health (DCDOH), under a grant from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), to conduct a Lyme disease study in Dutchess County. 

According to County Executive Steinhaus, ”Lyme disease remains one of the most significant public health threats in Dutchess County, with more than 11,000 confirmed cases since 1986. Our Health Department has worked closely with the ALDF for years in an effort to protect our citizens from this disease by raising awareness. Now we are partnering in an attempt to actually reduce the threat of Lyme Disease in Dutchess County, and hopefully generate information that can be used to help other areas in the future. ” 

Under the three-year, $300,000 per-year grant entitled Developing and Evaluating a Community and Population Based Intervention Program to Prevent Lyme Disease in the United States, County Health Department will partner with ALDF and the Institute for Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook to conduct environmental research and engage in public health surveillance aimed at reducing the incidence of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in Dutchess County. 

The study will help determine whether the so-called ‘4-poster’, is an effective tool for reducing the tick population and, thus, reducing the risk of Lyme disease to humans.  The ‘4-Poster’ is a patented deer feeding device that applies a topical pesticide to the deers’ fur as they feed to kill any ticks that may be present. It is estimated that 95% of the female population of tick species that transmits Lyme disease to humans feeds on the white-tailed deer. It is anticipated that preventing ticks from feeding on deer will result in a dramatic reduction in tick population, and consequently, an equally dramatic reduction in Lyme disease risk for humans. If this study is successful, it will significantly contribute to a practical solution to the problem of tick-borne diseases in the Northeast and other affected regions of the country.

Public Notice of Mosquito Larviciding