Christen Hertzog, Public Health Advisor, Dutchess County Department of Health

• 8 years of service

Christen Hertzog has contributed significantly to improving the health of Dutchess County residents through her work with arthropod-borne diseases.

Through her work Christen has been responsible for many community outreach and educational innovations including development of the "Tick Smart" curriculum on Lyme disease; and tools like 'Tick Check Harry", a plush sheep dog with seeds that represent ticks attached, reinforcing the important health behavior of daily tick checks.

Christen has collaborated with NYSDOH on efforts that have measurably reduced the burden of surveillance and reporting activities at the state and local level, and was involved in developing the "Be Tick Free" logo which is now part of all NYS tick-borne disease educational materials.

Her work has recently expanded to include West Nile Virus, Malaria, and investigation of other zoonotics such as Q-fever, brucellosis and foreign-borne encephalitis such as Dengue fever. Anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-borne diseases remain a staple part of her efforts and she remains steadfast in increasing the county's awareness of these and other arthropod–borne pathogens.

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