44 ticks have been submitted to the Danbury Health Department for testing since the program began this fall.  The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station reported back that 20% tested positive for an agent that causes illness in humans.  City health officials reminded residents that the average deer tick can live for two years and can survive in very cold climates. Snow and leaves help insulate ticks during the winter.  Although Lyme Disease infection rates drop in the winter, primarily because people spend less time outdoors, it’s still possible to contract Lyme.  It won't be known until spring whether the recent severe cold helped to mitigate the influx of ticks in Connecticut.