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Media Relations
Kansas State University
9 Anderson Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6415
media@k-state.edu

Information provided by K-State Media Relations, K-State's news service, may be reproduced without permission. The marks and names of Kansas State University are protected trademarks and may not be used in any commercial or private endeavor without the approval of the university.

Source: Dr. Michael Dryden, 785-532-4613, dryden@vet.k-state.edu
http://www.k-state.edu/media/mediaguide/bios/drydenbio.html
Photo available. Contact media@k-state.edu or 785-532-6415
News release prepared by: Joe Montgomery, 785-532-4193, jmontgom@vet.k-state.edu

Monday, July 9, 2007

K-STATE'S COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE DEDICATES NEW FACILITY FOR TICK CONTROL RESEARCH

MANHATTAN -- Ticks are behind what make the newest facility at Kansas State University, well, tick.

K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine recently dedicated its new Dryden-Merial Tick Research Center. The center was made possible through an $815,000 sponsorship from the Merial pharmaceutical corporation.

"Historically, researching ticks that infest dogs and cats had not been such a serious issue because ticks have not always been a big problem," said Dr. Michael Dryden, Frick Professor of Veterinary Medicine at K-State. "Today, this situation has changed due to several climatic and ecological factors. After looking at the research gaps in the knowledge base on ticks that infest dogs and cats, Dr. Pat Payne and I realized that a facility was needed to conduct tick bionomic and control studies and disease-vectoring research."

Payne is an assistant professor of diagnostic medicine and pathobiology at K-State.

Ticks expose both humans and animals to a number of diseases and infections including Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and ehrlichiosis, which are widespread in the eastern United States, Dryden said.

"In addition, up till now, there have not been good evaluations of knockdown, repellency, speed-of-kill or resistance to insecticides and tick control products," Dryden said. "There was also very little biological information as far as how efficiently and rapidly the ticks that infest dogs and cats transmit pathogens, how long and how successfully they feed, and what is the reproductive success of ticks feeding on dogs. We realized there was a marked lack of information on the host-associated bionomics of ticks on dogs and cats."

"The new research center puts K-State at the forefront of tick control research," said Dr. Ralph Richardson, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine. "It's a relevant area, not simply for the research opportunity, but because we are invested in the results of this knowledge so we may provide better health care in our profession and here at K-State."