Top row: nymph, male and female Blacklegged ticks.
Bottom row: male and female dog ticks.
The Blacklegged tick does not always have black coloured legs. Dog ticks usually have white or silver coloured spots.Photo: Public Health Agency of Canada
A change is coming this week to the province's tick surveillance program. Starting Friday (September 30th), the public, veterinarians and physicians will no longer be asked to submit ticks to the Department of Natural Resources or the Museum of Natural History for identification and testing. The tick surveillance program will now focus on active field work to identify areas where the tick population is expanding. Health and Wellness Minister Maureen MacDonald says there now is enough data to focus on more work in the field. Blacklegged ticks, the only ticks that carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, can be found throughout Nova Scotia, but risk of contracting the disease remains low. The following precautions are recommended in areas where blacklegged ticks and Lyme disease are known to be established:
-- wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants (so ticks are more visible), light-coloured socks, and enclosed shoes while working or playing outside or hiking in the woods
-- pull socks up over pant legs and tuck in shirts
-- spray clothing and exposed skin with an insect repellant containing DEET
-- check clothing and exposed skin for ticks after working or playing outside or in the bushes or tall grass and remove any ticks attached to the skin
-- keep grass well cut to minimize suitable habitat for ticks on your property.
Blacklegged ticks can only transmit the bacterial infection after they have been attached to the skin for about 24 hours. There have been 67 cases of Lyme disease reported in Nova Scotia since 2002. Images of the blacklegged tick, instructions to remove ticks and general information on Lyme disease are available at http://www.gov.ns.ca/dhw.
