Nantucket’s Bold New Plan to Fight Lyme Disease Targets an Unexpected Culprit

Nantucket has a serious problem with Lyme disease, largely spread by ticks, and officials hope that the island's mouse population could be a part of the solution.

The Real Source of the Lyme Infection on Nantucket

CBS News reported, "It's not the deer often associated with the disease, or even the ticks, but wild mice – the main carriers of Lyme." The disease is spread to humans by ticks, but only after the ticks have bitten mice infected with the disease.

According to Fox News Digital, "Roughly 15 percent of residents have been affected by the illness."

"White-footed mice play a major role in the Lyme disease cycle," Fox reported. "While people contract Lyme disease from infected ticks, ticks often become infected after feeding on mice that carry the bacteria."

Nantucket Hopes Mice Can Help Slow The Spread Of Lyme Disease

MIT's 'Mice Against Ticks' Project

Researchers from MIT have launched an operation, Mice Against Ticks, and are "testing whether mice with protective antibodies can help slow the spread of Lyme disease," Fox said.

CBS reported, "The scientists want to use genetic engineering to interrupt a cycle of infection necessary for Lyme disease to flourish." The idea is to change the genetic makeup of the mice so they're immune to Lyme.

"Deer don't get infected, but they help spread the disease because ticks embed on them to feed, then reproduce, with a single female tick laying as many as 2,000 eggs," according to CBS.

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Spreading Tick Threat Across Massachusetts

Martha's Vineyard has a tick problem of its own. As we recently reported, "The lone star tick population has grown rapidly on the island in recent years, spreading concern amongst its residents."

READ MORE: Lone Star Ticks Surge on Martha's Vineyard

The aggressive tick infests Rhode Island and has spread throughout most of Massachusetts.