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Building the Elite Podcast
The Building the Elite (BTE) podcast discusses all facets of human performance - from physical training to the mental and emotional factors of resilience. Each episode looks at principles drawn from the world of special operations. These concepts help people succeed in the toughest military training courses in the world and can help anyone thrive in chaotic and challenging environments.
Building the Elite Podcast
Dr. Robyn Nadolny: Tick-Borne Diseases, Ep. 129
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Dr. Robyn Nadolny is a Biologist and the Chief of the Vector-Borne Disease Branch at the Defense Centers for Public Health at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (DCPH-A). The flagship program of the Vector-Borne Disease Branch is MilTICK, a free, rapid tick-testing program for military beneficiaries. The results provide a tool in the diagnostic toolbox for military beneficiaries, and Dr. Nadolny uses the passive surveillance data generated to better understand changing tick-borne disease dynamics and mitigate risks to US Service Members and their communities. She is also working on tick-borne disease surveillance projects worldwide to support military communities.
Dr. Nadolny came to DCPH-A in 2016 after completing her PhD in Ecological Sciences from Old Dominion University (ODU) in Norfolk, VA. She also holds a M.S. in Biology from ODU, and a B.S. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavioral Biology from Beloit College in Beloit, WI. Her research focuses on the prevention of tick-borne disease through understanding and breaking tick-host-pathogen-environment cycles. Dr. Nadolny has co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and is interested in the intersection of ecology and public health.
In this episode, we discuss the types of diseases that can be transmitted to military personnel (and anyone else) through ticks, how those diseases work, where and when the risk is greatest, and what you can do to protect yourself.
To visit the MilTICK site, which you can use to understand the risk of tick-borne disease at your military installation and submit ticks for testing, go here:
https://ph.health.mil/topics/entomology/kits/Pages/HumanTickTestKitProgram.aspx
There are also many civilian labs where you can submit a tick for testing at a low cost.
For example:
Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab: https://www.ticklab.org/
Old Dominion University, Virginia: https://sites.wp.odu.edu/tick-team/what-we-do/tick-testing/sending-us-your-ticks/
Ticknology: https://www.ticknology.org/order-test
Timestamps:
00:23 Introduction to Dr. Robyn Nadolny
01:48 What are the Most Common Diseases Spread by Ticks?
03:24 Lesser Known Tick-Spread Diseases
07:19 Alpha Gal: It's Not Just Beef Off the Table
09:27 The Implications of Lyme Disease
14:16 How Does the Body React After Multiple Tick Bites?
16:06 Rates of These Diseases
18:21 What Terrain Do Ticks Prefer?
21:31 What Time of Year are Ticks the Worst?
23:13 Tick Life Cycles
27:56 Soldiers Protecting Themselves from Ticks in the Field
33:19 Dealing with a Tick Bite in the Field
37:41 Prevalence of Diseases in Ticks
42:34 Vaccines for Tick-Borne Diseases for Pets and People
45:45 Treated Clothing and Repellents
48:21 Outro
