BiTeRS

GOT TICKS? CONTACT BITERS

The Border Tick and Rickettsia Surveillance (BiTeRS) program of the Pacific Southwest Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (PacVec) offers services to enhance surveillance for ticks and tick-borne pathogens of human health concern in California and Arizona. This is made possible through our project leaders at the University of California, Davis and the University of Arizona, and collaborating local and state agencies, including the California Department of Public Health and the Arizona Department of Health Services.

We help every step of the way, and shipping and testing are FREE. Collection supplies and protocols are provided, and partners receive all results on ticks they have submitted.

We work with partner organizations to:

Perform surveillance for ticks and tick-borne diseases in their area
Learn about risks of tick-borne diseases in their area by testing ticks for pathogens/diseases
Collect and submit ticks for identification and testing
Rapidly report results of tick identification and pathogen testing to submitting partners
Provide training on ticks and tick-borne disease

Partner organizations may be:

Government entities (local, tribal, county, or other)
Workplaces with tick exposure
Animal control, humane, or veterinary organizations
Pest control services
Other businesses or groups near the southern border with potential tick exposure

BiTeRS Flyer

Download the flyer for distribution!

BiTeRS Newsletters

California:

Please contact Janet Foley or Laura Backus at Calticks@Pacvec.us or call (530) 754-9740.

Arizona:

In Arizona, contact Dawn Gouge or Lucy Li at AZTicks@Pacvec.us or call (602) 418-5202.

WHAT IS THE DEAL WITH TICKS?

Ticks may spread diseases to people and pets. These are ticks and diseases that BiTeRS is concerned about:

BROWN DOG TICK
Rhipicephalus sanguineus

WESTERN BLACKLEGGED TICK
Ixodes pacificus

AMERICAN DOG TICK
Dermacentor variabilis

PACIFIC COAST TICK
Dermacentor occidentalis

The Pacific Southwest Regional Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases is supported through Cooperative Agreement Number 1U01CK000649-01 between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the University of California, Davis.