Ross Boyce
ON THE RECORD · 12 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“We did this in a residential community. That's actually representative of the risk that people more likely face, than if we had gone out into the middle of the national forest,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce notes the study was conducted in a residential community, reflecting real-world risk.
“That’s really what sort of perked our ears up and started this whole process, was hearing from community members that they had been having some exposures and getting sick,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce explains that reports from Biltmore Forest residents prompted the study.
“Now they're suddenly down here as well.”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce says the additional pathogens have now appeared in North Carolina.
“I did my medical school here in Chapel Hill, and the teaching at that point was there’s not much, if any, Lyme disease in North Carolina,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce recalls that medical training in North Carolina once downplayed Lyme disease risk in the state.
“Realizing that it can be this high risk within a community is really important.”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce emphasizes the significance of high tick-borne disease risk within a residential community.
“As much as we're trying to raise awareness about people around Lyme disease, now we've suddenly got these other two tick-borne diseases that can cause important disease,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce discusses two additional tick-borne pathogens detected in the study.
“That’s where tick checks can make a difference.”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce advises that prompt tick checks can prevent infection.
“If you were to do a similar study like this in New York or Pennsylvania, you might find 30% or 40% of the ticks are infected, but to see that here in western North Carolina is really striking,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce compares tick infection rates found in western North Carolina to those in northeastern states.
“Especially for folks who live with some woods in the backyard, there’s deer, there’s small animals, and not as much of a clean divide between what we say is wildlife and yards in a way that maybe there used to be.”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce describes heightened risk for residents whose yards border wooded areas with wildlife.
“If you find a tick pretty quick and get it off, you’re probably safe. The problem, especially in the spring, is the ticks are really small. They’re sesame seed size, and not as easy to find,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce warns that small springtime ticks are hard to spot.
“Lyme disease, unlike some of the other tickborne illness diseases, it does take the tick a while to actually transmit the bacteria to the person,”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce explains that Lyme transmission takes time after a tick attaches.
“What we’ve really been trying to do is sort of raise up the red flag and say hey, this is something you really need to pay attention to and be ready for.”
Ross Boyce · said date not stated · reported 2026-08-17
Boyce says researchers are working to raise awareness among physicians and the public.