Richard Pollack examines a deer tick sent to him for identification.

For years, Pollack and colleagues in the Laboratory of Public Health Entomology at HSPH have informally identified bugs for anyone who sent them to the lab. As Lyme disease and the deer ticks that carry the disease pathogen have spread throughout the region, the requests for tick identification have increased, as has the need to educate the public.

In response to requests from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and municipal boards of health across the Commonwealth, Pollack and colleagues in the lab have formalized the identification activity. They now identify insects and other arthropods for private citizens, public health workers, and diverse municipal agencies. They offer identification guidance and instruction to physicians, veterinarians, hospitals, and other labs. To cover lab costs, they request a nominal handling fee, and they generally report results within a few hours, quite different from commercial labs that may charge $100 or more and may take several days or weeks to confirm an identification.

The HSPH scientists do not test for pathogens in the samples sent to them. Their service is solely focused on identifying the offending bug. But surprisingly, simply knowing what kind of bug you’re dealing with can answer a lot of questions–and allay fears. In the Lyme disease example, the bacteria that cause the illness are carried almost exclusively by deer ticks, not by dog ticks and other ticks that people and their pets may encounter frequently. This information can help dispel concerns and may prevent unnecessary treatment.

Pollack does not use the information he receives from people as part of his research, although he has obtained clearance from HSPH’s Human Subjects Committee to collect the data necessary to complete the bug identifications. Instead, he sees the work as a form of public service.

"We feel a certain obligation to apply our expertise," said Pollack. "This is a school of public health, and we are in the business of education. It doesn’t matter if the person in need of information is a student, a scientist, or a neighbor."

For more information about the service, e-mail Pollack at rpollack@hsph.harvard.edu.