The District collects western black-legged ticks, Ixodes pacificus, to test for the presence of Borrelia burgdorferi (the bacterium that causes Lyme disease) and Borrelia miyamotoi. The district also collects Dermacentor spp. ticks for collaborative research efforts and disease case follow-ups.
Collecting and testing ticks
District staff collects ticks at various parks and other publicly owned lands in Marin and Sonoma counties by a method called flagging. Ticks are sorted by species, gender, and collection location, and are frozen until they are tested.
Western black-legged ticks (I. pacificus) are tested for the presence of B. burgdorferi and B. miyamotoi DNA using Real-Time PCR technology. The District also collaborates with other agencies and educational institutions on various research projects related to ticks and tick-borne disease.
Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District is fully committed to providing accessible facilities, elements and
channels of communication to all members of the public. As part of this commitment, Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District
has a policy of providing an accessible website compatible with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) and
commercial screen reading software. All features of the website are coded to allow individuals with vision and
other impairments to understand and use the website to the same degree as someone without disabilities. We welcome
feedback and can often resolve issues in a timely manner if they arise.
If you need any special assistance or accommodations:
Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District has designated a compliance officer for website disability-related accommodations.
The compliance officer has received training in website accessibility and updates the site in accordance with those best
practices. Contact our accessibility officer to report an issue.
Compliance Procedures and Reports
In addition to testing with users with a wide range of disabilities and coding our website to WCAG standards,
Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control District regularly scans its website to ensure ongoing compliance, and makes timely
changes to any inaccessible changes, if any are found.
Linked Documents and Third Parties
Please note that this site may link out to third-party websites, such as state or federal agencies, that do
not have accessible content. This site may also include documents provided by third parties included in our
agenda packets, for example. While we cannot control the accessibility of content provided by third parties,
we are happy to assist any member of the public with reading and accessing content on our site.