| To explore the next foci of Lyme disease, I used a hybrid approach which employs qualitative and quantitative interviews combined with a model that incorporates factors that previously have been determined to predict Lyme disease risk via tick habitat suitability. This model was created using secondary sources for variables that are known to predict deer tick habitat: patch size, proximity to water, land cover, slope, aspect and elevation. The model is validated by a perceptual map of locations in Jackson County where interviewed subjects have indicated they have found ticks. Quantitative and qualitative data is also gleaned from these interviews which elucidates the human element of tick encounters and Lyme disease. It is clear from this model and the narratives that Jackson County has suitable habitat for ticks to potentially prosper, as well as numerous sightings of this tick and people who have had symptoms of Lyme disease. |
