The Danbury Health and Human Services Department has started a program that allows residents to submit ticks to the Health Department for identification and testing for Lyme Disease. 

City Health Director Lisa Michelle Morrissey says an alarming number of residents in the state suffer from the effects of tick-borne Lyme Disease each year. 

Ticks will only be accepted from Danbury residents.  The state Agricultural Experiment Station is authorized to test ticks submitted by local health departments.  All results will be communicated in writing to the submitter.  Morrissey says this is mostly for peace of mind for the resident, not necessarily to track where the tick is found and put up warnings.

Morrissey says they've considered collecting location data of what part of the City they are found.  But she noted that it would be part of a much larger program, implemented at a later date.

There will be a small fee to defray the administrative cost of the program.  That fee is $5, which will also cover the repackaging of the tick to send to the state.

The Agricultural Experiment Station doesn't currently charge a fee, but Morrissey cautioned that they may change the policy because of the state's fiscal problems.  If the Agricultural Experiment Station does start charging for the program, Morrissey would not have to come back to the Council for approval of a higher fee charged by Danbury to cove that cost because of the way approval was written.