May 8, 2008 Quash the enemy with 'Tick Tactic' Play video

(NECN: Marnie MacLean, Portland, Maine) - Two Maine women believe they have found a way to help stop the spread of Lyme disease. It's called "Tick Tactic," a kit that helps people deal with a tick bite.

Jane Honeck and Mo Babicki both know the pain of Lyme disease. Mo was bitten by a tick 19 years ago, but it took years for doctors to diagnose her painful symptoms.

After years of suffering, Mo found a doctor who told her she had Lyme disease and she began getting help. At the same time, her friend Jane noticed a bulls-eye rash under her arm.

Jane was diagnosed quickly and immediately got treatment.

The two friends wanted to find a way to help others avoid Lyme disease. They have created "Tick Tactic," a small kit that includes tweezers to remove the tick and a magnifying card to help people identify whether it is a deer tick, which carries Lyme disease.

Chuck Lubelczyk is a field biologist who studies ticks. He says the kit is a good idea because the number of ticks are increasing every year and more people are being diagnosed with Lyme disease.

In Maine, 530 cases were reported last year, the highest number ever recorded.

Mo and Jane believe their kit can help reduce that risk.