BOSTON (WHDH) - Warmer weather means spending more time outside. That increases the risk of tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.
According to the CDC, emergency room visits due to tick bites are at their highest since 2017.
Now, Erin Dawicki, an MIT researcher and physician assistant, has discovered a way to quickly test for the disease.
“In just 15 mins I can find out if me or my dog has Lyme disease, yes, I would be interested in that, yes,” one man said.
The new tech is called “Lymealert.” It lets you place the tick in a container and run a quick test to see if it’s infected.
Dawicki said 54% of ticks in Massachusetts have the disease, and antibiotic resistance is a growing problem. So, she came up with a solution.
“Why can’t we just test the tick at home and know which ticks carry disease and only treat the patients who absolutely need it,” Dawicki said.
Dawicki said one of her goals is to provide affordable healthcare access to families.
“I am tired of seeing kids who show up in my office too late because they couldn’t afford healthcare at the time of the bite when they actually needed it,” Dawicki said. “We really see this as a community-based healthcare initiative where we can all contribute significant information and hopefully figure out how to stop these little buggers in their tracks.”
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