Blacklegged tick exposures tripled average in April, says New Brunswick’s new tracker

Blacklegged ticks are known to transmit diseases. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)

In April, there were 178 blacklegged tick exposures to animals and humans in New Brunswick, which was triple the three-year average for that month, according to a new tick tracker from the province.

The tracker keeps a tally on blacklegged tick bites in the provinces and highlights the areas with the highest risk. These ticks can transmit Lyme disease.

“As the warmer weather arrives, so, too, does the risk of encountering blacklegged ticks,” said Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s chief medical officer of health, in a news release. “Our new tick bite tracking tool is another way New Brunswickers can stay informed about tick activity in the province.”

According to the tracker, there were 1,830 reports of blacklegged ticks in the province in the last 12 months, dwarfing all other kinds of ticks. There were also 1,592 visits to health-care professionals for possible high-risk tick bites in the last 12 months.

The tracker says the higher risk areas for Lyme disease are in the southern parts of the province like the Charlotte and Saint John counties.

The province recommends anyone who spends the day outdoors to check their scalp, neck, armpits, ears, underarms, belly button, waist, pelvic area and behind the knees for ticks.

For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.