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For nearly four years, BWH’s Melanie Zibit, MEd, MPH, Nancy Shadick, MD, MPH, and Susan Tooke, BS, have been delivering a “Tick Talk” to 4,000 children at 22 schools on the North Shore in an effort to help prevent Lyme disease.
“We received a grant in 2004 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct a study on school-based intervention for Lyme disease,” said Shadick, principal investigator of the study, who has been working on Lyme disease prevention research for about 13 years.
The team’s Tick Talk inspires children to prevent Lyme disease.
“Just giving information about Lyme disease, such as a pamphlet, doesn’t change a child’s behavior,” Shadick said. “One thing that can is enhancing a child’s self confidence that they can find a tick and remove it. If they have that, they will check themselves regularly.”
To build that confidence, Shadick and her team used a tick “feel” card, which mimics the feel of a tick. They also distribute a shower check card, a plastic sign to hang in the shower to remind children and their parents to check daily for ticks and the proper technique for doing so.
With the CDC grant in its final year, the education will continue. “We partnered with school nurses and principals so they can take over the curriculum after our initial talks,” said Zibit, project manager. “We’ve also had a lot of demand for our program materials from public health organizations and other schools.”
To make the materials more widely available, the team designed a Web site geared toward children and their parents with interactive games, like crossword puzzles, word searches, jeopardy and a seek and find. Curriculum information is also available on the site. Visit www.bwhpreventlyme.org