{"id":14,"date":"2015-02-20T20:12:33","date_gmt":"2015-02-20T20:12:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/avada.theme-fusion.com_demos\/law\/?page_id=14"},"modified":"2021-08-11T17:21:25","modified_gmt":"2021-08-11T17:21:25","slug":"how-itick-works","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vetmed.illinois.edu\/i-tick\/how-itick-works\/","title":{"rendered":"How I-TICK Works"},"content":{"rendered":"

HOW I-TICK WORKS<\/h2>\n<\/div>
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What is I-TICK?<\/h3>\n

I-TICK, (Illinois Tick Inventory Collaboration networK), is a surveillance program to gather information about ticks of public health concern in Illinois. The purpose is to develop a network of volunteers to collect data to help our lab determine the risk of tick-borne disease based on where and when ticks occur.<\/p>\n

Why would I want to take part and why is it important?<\/h3>\n

Ticks can carry a number of diseases that affect people and other animals. The data collected help identify where and when a tick comes in contact with people, pets, and livestock. These data then allow us to focus surveillance methods to determine the risk of disease. Additionally, the Tick App will provide information on what human activities affect the risk of finding a tick.<\/p>\n

Who can participate?<\/h3>\n

Anyone in Illinois is welcome, but participants must be 18 years or older to use the Tick App.<\/p>\n

While the Tick App is for anyone to use regardless of their location in the U.S., our I-TICK program will only analyze data from Illinois. If you are traveling and find a tick anywhere in the U.S., you may still submit the information using the Tick App\u2013the data are useful to other research programs studying tick-borne diseases.<\/p>\n

When does it occur?<\/h3>\n

The I-TICK program collects data any time, regardless of season or time of year.<\/p>\n

Where does it occur?<\/h3>\n

Anywhere in Illinois, where a person works or relaxes, including your yard or property.<\/p>\n

The location where the tick was found is critical to I-TICK! We require at least the county of collection to include the data in our research. Please submit location and date with any frozen tick. If you use the Tick App, you can enable the location function on your smart phone if you are comfortable doing so. If not, there is a place in the Tick App to manually record location. Please provide at least the county, but even better, a more exact location such as the city or state park. (The information provided by volunteers is more valuable when a precise location is provided instead of just the county where a tick was found). All data are always kept confidential.<\/p>\n

What will it cost me to participate?<\/h3>\n

The Tick App is free for anyone to use, but you will have to pay for your cell phone data. There is also a desktop version if you prefer or do not have a smart phone. If you collect and freeze a tick to mail to us, your cost would be a first class stamp.<\/p>\n

How do I participate?<\/h3>\n

There are two ways to participate in I-TICK: send us a physical tick specimen that is NOT engorged with blood, or collect and submit all information using The Tick App: a smartphone or web app. Participants are free to choose one (or both) methods.<\/p>\n

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  1. To use The Tick App:<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n