Getting ticked; Residents concerned with growing parasite population
SHERBROOKE – Tick season in Nova Scotia has arrived and, according to several residents of the Sherbrooke area, the blood-lusting creatures seem to be working overtime this year.
“Every time I go outside, I come in with a tick on me,” said Indian Harbour Lake resident Harley Jordan. “It’s non-stop.”
Jordan noted he isn’t the only one who seems to be a tick magnet.
“Even though my dog’s been treated with preventative medication, he still gets ticks on him. And, because he’s black, they’re hard to see; so, I have to rub him down each time he goes out and comes in to try to make sure he doesn’t have any on him,” he said, adding, “It’s a bit of a pain because, even with the medication, they still often come into the house on him and fall off. We find them everywhere.”
In an email interview with The Journal, Amanda Silliker, communications advisor for the Public Health branch of the Department of Health and Wellness (DHW), shared that tick populations across Nova Scotia are growing, largely as a result of climate change.
And while many folks enjoy walking and outdoor activities, it seems that certain people seem to attract ticks more than others.
Highly sensitive to body heat, sweat and breath, ticks senses are sharp enough to detect differences in scent, and it seems they might prefer certain human victims over others.
Scientific studies have shown that type A blood is the most attractive to ticks, followed by type O and type AB, while B blood is the least attractive. And, although they don’t seem to gravitate towards synthetic scents, such as perfumes, they do seem to be attracted to certain natural scents, like musk oil.
The DHW shared there are several kinds of ticks in Nova Scotia. According to available information, the primary tick in the province is the American dog tick, or wood tick. And, at low levels, there is the brown dog tick, while there is a possibility of encountering blacklegged ticks anywhere in the province.
Blacklegged ticks - known to transmit tick borne diseases such as Lyme, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus infection - survive best in areas that provide a moist habitat, and are often found in and near wooded or forested areas, shrubs, long grass, leaf litter, urban parks and gardens. Based upon this criteria, Nova Scotia is a perfect setting for ticks to thrive and, with the many trails to enjoy hiking in the District of St. Mary’s - such as Stonewall Park in Sherbrooke and the hiking trails in Liscomb or on the paths at the Lighthouse Park in Port Bickerton residents who spend their time in outdoor wooded areas like those have a higher possibility of coming into contact with a tick.
According to research, most people are infected by the bites of immature ticks. In general, black ticks need to be embedded or attached to a person for 24 hours or more, in order to contract Lyme disease, the early symptoms of which, can include fever and chills, a general feeling of illness, headache, joint or muscle pain and a stiff neck. Most cases of Lyme disease can be prevented or cured by immediate treatment with an antibiotic.
The DHW advised that as the weather gets warmer, it’s important for people to be aware of the potential presence of ticks and to take the necessary steps to protect them, their family and pets, when they are engaged in any outdoor activities. Go to www.novascotia.ca/ticksafety for more information.
Taking simple precautions, such as tucking in shirts, pulling socks over pant legs, using a Health Canada approved insect repellent and keeping the grass cut, can help people avoid contact with ticks, including bites.
There is a tick identification service, called E-Tick available to Nova Scotians, where people can send photos of ticks for identification. Learn more at etick.ca.
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Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal
