Broome County, NY – Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo worked with the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences (Binghamton PPS) to produce an informational webinar on tick season and tick-borne diseases. The goal was to provide an easily accessible source of information for the community on the prominence of ticks in our region and how to stay safe. It can be watched at any time.

Ticks are common in the Northeast, with high numbers in NYS and throughout the Southern Tier. As a result, tick-borne diseases have been on the rise in recent years, posing a significant health threat to people and pets. While Lyme disease is most common, with 33,000 cases reported in the Middle Atlantic Region in 2022, Anaplasmosis, Ehrlichiosis (spotted fever), and Babesiosis all pose threats. That’s why it's important to be well-informed.

Moderated by Dean of the Pharmacy School & SUNY Distinguished Professor Kanneboyina Nagaraju, the webinar featured a panel of experts in the field who together provided an overview of tick-borne disease trends, current research, prevention measures, symptoms, and available treatment. The panel was comprised of Dr. Yetrib Hathout, Professor and Director of the Tick-Borne Disease Center at Binghamton PPS; Dr. Wesley Kufel, Infectious Diseases Pharmacist and Clinical Associate Professor at Binghamton PPS; and Dr. Kristopher Paolino, Infectious Diseases Physician and Director of Clinical Research for the Institute of Global Health at SUNY Upstate Medical University.

The webinar can be viewed on the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy’s YouTube page or by following this link, with accompanying slides viewable at https://tinyurl.com/TickWebinarSlides. Follow-up questions can be directed to Dr. Yetrib Hathout at yhathout@binghamton.edu.