Table 1.
Work and tick exposure histories reported among U.S. Forest Service employees
| Item | n | Response | Frequency (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Years in current job | 95 | < 1 year | 5 (5) |
| 1 - < 5 years | 8 (8) | ||
| 5–10 years | 12 (13) | ||
| > 10 years/My whole life | 70 (74) | ||
| Required to work outdoors | 95 | No | 5 (5) |
| Yes | 90 (95) | ||
| Hours/week working outdoors | 95 | Does not apply to me | 2 (2) |
| < 5 h | 21 (22) | ||
| 5–10 h | 15 (16) | ||
| 10–20 h | 11 (12) | ||
| > 20 h | 46 (48) | ||
| Tick exposure during last 2 years | 94 | 0 ticks | 3 (3) |
| < 10 ticks | 20 (21) | ||
| > 10 ticks | 71 (76) | ||
| 71 | If > 10 in last 2 years, how many during peak tick season? | ||
| 1–5 ticks/week | 35 (49) | ||
| 6–10 ticks/week | 10 (14) | ||
| > 10 ticks/week | 25 (35) | ||
| I cannot give a reliable answer | 1 (1) | ||
| 71 | If > 10 in last 2 years, where do you typically find them? | ||
| Work only | 5 (7) | ||
| Leisure/recreation only | 1 (1) | ||
| Both work and leisure/recreation | 57 (80) | ||
| Don’t know | 8 (11) | ||
Note: Variation in sample sizes for the first four items is due to non-responses by some respondents. The fifth and sixth items were only presented to those who reported seeing > 10 ticks on themselves in the last 2 years