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Ticks and Tick-borne Disease Monitoring in South Carolina
Do you have ticks on your property? Have you been bite by a tick? Send it to us for identification! Tick bites and tick-borne diseases are a growing public health problem in South Carolina and the greater region. Starting in 2020, Dr Nolan’s laboratory launched the first state-wide tick monitoring program. This program collaborates closely with state health partners, legislature, and public to advance our understanding of these diseases. Today, this work has expanded throughout the southeastern USA, including partnerships with local communities and health departments in North Carolina, Virginia and beyond. Please help us to fill-in the gaps by sending in any ticks you might find on you, a family member, your domestic animals and/or livestock. See our tick page for more information.
The BITES Study
Help South Carolina doctors better understand what vector-borne diseases are a problem in our state! This research study hopes to better understand what insect-related diseases are making people sick in the greater Columbia-Lexington area. For eligibility criteria and for more information, please contact Henry Heidt at hsheidt@email.sc.edu or 803-576-7824.
Pre-term birth prevention
Are you a high-risk pregnancy seeking care in Richland County? Contact us for more information about a new study. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recently began recommending vaginal progesterone for high-risk pregnancies to prevent pre-term birth. However, the biological mechanisms (e.g. how this treatment works) is not known. A new study in collaboration with Prisma Health (co-PI Dr Anthony Gregg) seeks to understand if the positive impact of progesterone treatment is related to a shift from dysbiosis to a healthy vaginal microbiome. This study will lay the foundation for future grants to explore additional treatment options to prevent pre-term birth in South Carolina moms. For more information contact study coordinator Mr Henry Heidt: hsheidt@email.sc.edu