The health unit launched its active tick surveillance program on Friday, monitoring for the prevalence of black legged ticks in the region. The program helps public health officials track tick populations and better understand the local risk of Lyme disease. WECHU is also reminding residents to take precautions when spending time outdoors, including using insect repellent, wearing long clothing, checking for ticks after being outside and removing any attached ticks promptly to reduce the risk of infection. Health officials add that if the tick body has been attached to the body for more than 24 hours to go visit your local health provider. If residents have discovered a tick, health officials say they can visit etick.ca and submit a photo, which will help in identifying the type of tick it is.
