The provincial government is asking Albertans to submit ticks found on themselves or their animals to check if they are carrying the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.
The ticks can be given to an Environmental Health Public Office, a First Nations Health Centre or your own physician, Alberta Health said in a press release. Ticks found on pets should be submitted to a veterinarian.
The government started studying ticks found on animals since 2007. The program expanded in 2013 to include humans and the environment.
“Thanks to Albertans who have submitted ticks, government has been able to monitor what types of ticks are in the province,” Deputy Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kristin Klein said. “Although the risk of getting Lyme disease in Alberta is very low, I encourage Albertans to keep submitting ticks they find so we can continue to assess this risk.”
The program received 2,781 ticks last year, and 34 of them included the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.
"When I first started practicing, I wouldn’t see any ticks and now they’re just common," Dr. Max Rossetti said. "They’re everywhere out there … This is the time of year where these ticks are very hungry."
Alberta Health advices people to reduce the risk of getting ticks by covering up as much skin as possible in the woods or green areas, using bugs spay that contain DEET or Icaridin, and checking themselves and their pets after spending time outdoors.
To learn how to remove a tick and submit it to the government’s program, visit the Alberta Health website.
With files from Susan Amerongen
