Above: Deb Hudman is conducting the fi rst statewide study of ticks in Missouri. The senior research associate in A.T. Still University's Department of Microbiology and Immunology hopes mapping the state's tick species will help doctors more quickly diagnose illnesses associated with tick bites. Inset: A male lone star tick as seen through a scanning electron microscope. Photo courtesy A.T. Still University. 18 RURAL MISSOURI | JULY 2021