Parents raise alarm over tick surge at Middle Country Schools as district plans spraying
Several parents report their children are coming home with ticks after spending time outdoors at school, particularly at early education centers surrounded by wooded areas.
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Parents in the Middle Country School District say they are seeing more ticks on their children, raising concerns about safety and prompting calls for quicker action from the district.
Several parents report their children are coming home with ticks after spending time outdoors at school, particularly at early education centers surrounded by wooded areas.
“I have a 5-year-old who likes to play outside, and we have to do tick checks every day,” said Leigh Mizveski, whose son attends pre-K at Bicycle Path Pre-K/Kindergarten. “The fact that we’ve had to bring it to the attention of the school is kind of surprising.”
In response, the Middle Country School District says it will begin spraying for ticks around Unity Drive Kindergarten and the Bicycle Path Pre-K and Kindergarten Center. Spraying is scheduled to begin Tuesday, starting with the kindergarten buildings, and will eventually expand to all schools in the district.
The concerns come as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports weekly emergency room visits for tick bites nationwide are at their highest level since 2017.
Dr. Andrew Handel, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, said he and his colleagues have already noticed an increase in cases.
“Over the last few weeks, we’ve seen an increase in the number of children presenting to the doctor’s office and to the emergency room because they’ve had a recent tick bite,” Handel said.
He expects tick-related infections to rise as the season continues and urges parents to take preventive steps, especially if children spend time near wooded or grassy areas.
Handel recommends using insect repellent on children and applying a special clothing spray called permethrin, which kills ticks on contact. He also emphasized the importance of daily checks.
“And of course once you get home, you want to make sure to do a thorough tick check,” he said.
While some families are relieved the district is taking action, others say the response should have come sooner.
“This should’ve been done spring break — we were closed for 10 days,” Mizveski said.
Joan Minniti, a local grandparent, said concerns about ticks are constant on Long Island.
“You should always be concerned about ticks, so I guess it’s good they’re taking the initiative,” she said.
