The Sippican Woman’s Club is reviewing deer ticks and lyme disease at its monthly meeting on Friday, February 9, 12:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at Handy's Tavern, the Woman's Club club house, at 152 Front Street, Marion.

The meeting's lecture is "Deer Ticks: One Bite Can Change Your Life," presented by Larry Dapsis an entomologist Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, as well as Blake Dinius, entomologist for Plymouth County Cooperative Extension.

Lyme Disease is the most prevalent infectious disease in Massachusetts. Marion has the highest incidence rate of Lyme disease in Plymouth County, followed by Rochester. The disease is now considered a public health crisis. In addition to Lyme, deer ticks can carry the pathogens which cause babesiosis, anaplasmosis, relapsing fever and powassan virus, all of which can be fatal; case numbers of those diseases are on the increase.

Tick season is January to December. With above freezing temperatures and a break in snow cover, there will likely be increased deer tick activity.

The program will review the basic life cycle and ecology of deer ticks, the incidence rates and distribution of tick-borne illnesses and the database under development on infection rates of ticks. A three-point protection plan will be presented: "Protect Yourself, Protect Your Yard and Protect your Pet."

The Sippican Woman's Club meets on the second Friday of the month (September through March) at 12:30 p.m., with a finger-foods served, followed by a business meeting at 1 p.m. and program at 1:30. The meetings are held at The Sippican Woman’s Club, Handy’s Tavern, 152 Front Street, Marion. Parking is available at Island Wharf Road parking lot (across from the Music Hall). Guests may RSVP to: Info@SippicanWomansClub.org. For membership information, contact Jeanne Lake at (508) 748-0619 or visit www.sippicanwomansclub.org