Ticks
Ticks and Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. In recent years, Pennsylvania has led the nation in the number of reported Lyme disease cases. This important public health challenge affects all Pennsylvanians as all 67 counties, including Allegheny County, has black-legged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) infected with the Lyme disease bacterium (Borrelia burdorferi).
Watch a short video featuring the health department's Bill Todaro and Leah Lamonte as they share tips on how to protect you and your family from ticks and tick-borne diseases:
The Health Department plays an important role by tracking the number of Lyme disease cases in Allegheny County, providing tick identification, and educating residents on how to best control ticks and prevent Lyme disease. Specimens may be mailed or submitted in person to the County Entomologist for identification. The Health Department does not provide testing of ticks for bacteria or viruses.
Check out ACHD’s Beware of Ticks Q&A(PDF, 382KB) for more info about tickborne diseases and how to prevent tick bites.
For more information on about Lyme Disease in Allegheny County, visit our Lyme Disease Surveillance page.
To make an appointment for a consultation or to receive more information about ticks and Lyme disease, please call the Housing and Community Environment Program at 412-350-4046.
Other Tick Resources