Tick populations on the rise in prairie provinces, experts recommend backcountry precautions

Uptick in ticks in the backcountry Tick populations continue to grow prompting experts to recommend precautionary measures to avoid bites. Kathy Le has more.

Pest control specialists say there has been an uptick in brownlegged tick activity in Canada and the insects, that had been predominantly found in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritime provinces, have spread westward.

“We are seeing more and more of them in the prairies especially along rivers and areas where they can stay cool and moist, but they also need warm weather to be active,” said Tadek Sampson of Buzz Boss.

At this time of year, ticks are in the nymphal stage, are miniscule in size and carry the potential for contracting the bacterium that causes Lyme disease from rodents.

“In the nymphal stage we don’t actually notice them,” said Sampson. “It’s very possible that you wouldn’t notice them for quite some time because they’re so tiny.”

Sampson says ticks are most prevalent in wooded areas and hikers should take precautionary steps to reduce the risk of an encounter including wearing long sleeves and full length pants.

“Anywhere where you’re out hiking and brushing up against that tall grass or you’re brushing up against bushes, they climb to the edges, the tip of the grass or out on the bushes,” said Sampson. “When they sense you they’ll come out.”

Data collected by the Government of Canada indicates a significant increase in confirmed cases of Lyme disease in Canada from 2009 (144 confirmed cases) to 2016 (992 cases). The vast majority (more than 88 per cent) of the 2016 cases were reported in Ontario, Quebec or Nova Scotia.

Symptoms of Lyme disease can include fever, rash, severe headaches, joint pain and paralysis.

Sampson says a tick needs to be on a body for more than 24 hours to pass the infection to a human and he recommends thoroughly checking for ticks after a day in the backcountry. “Just because you’re bitten doesn’t mean you’re going to get the disease. It’s always good if you suspect that you’ve been bitten by a tick, (if) you’ve found one on your body, to go get yourself checked out.”

Should you find a tick on your body, Sampson recommends removing the insect by grasping its head with tweezers. The tick can be sent to the province to be checked for the presence of the Lyme disease causing bacteria.

For additional information on ticks, visit Alberta Health – Lyme disease and tick surveillance in Alberta.

With files from CTV's Kathy Le