'Your best defence is coverage': How to avoid ticks on Vancouver Island
Maureen Harrison walks her brother’s dogs around Thetis Lake daily. When the walk is over, she says checking the pair for ticks is a must.
"Just go behind their ears," said Harrison. "All the places that the ticks like to be."
In British Columbia, some Western black-legged ticks carry a bacteria that causes Lyme disease. That bacteria gets transferred to the recipient when the tick burrows its head into the skin, draws bloods, spits some back out, then falls off the body.
The two dogs that Harrison walks daily have had ticks found on them before.
"[Ticks] have got little hooks on the top of their head and you can just turn them a little bit and draw them out," she said.
Lyme disease can lead to long-term health complications for people and pets.
Those can include chronic symptoms like arthritis, as well as neurological symptoms or heart symptoms, according to Muhammad Morshed, a clinical microbiologist at the BC Centre for Disease Control Public Health Laboratory.
"Really, anything you can think of," said Morshed.
The BCCDC has launched an interactive map showing high-risk areas for ticks in the province.
A map released by the BCCDC shows high-risk tick areas in British Columbia. (BCCDC)
That risk is most prevalent on the eastern side of Vancouver Island, on the Sunshine Coast, and in the Lower Mainland.
Morshed says there is currently no vaccine for Lyme disease in Canada.
There used to be a vaccine but it was discontinued by the manufacturer in 2002 due to low demand.
Canada's Ministry of Health says it's looking into new types of vaccines for the illness.
"There are clinical trials underway to develop an effective vaccine to protect against Lyme disease," said the Health Ministry in a statement.
"If trials are successful and an effective vaccine becomes available, people could have access in jurisdictions where it is approved for use."
Morshed believes it's just a "matter of time" before a vaccine is introduced in Canada.
PROTECTION TIPS
"With ticks, your best defence is in coverage," said David Keay, general manager of Robinson’s Outdoor Store in downtown Victoria.
Keay has some tips to keep would-be hikers tick-free.
"Long pants, long sleeve shirts, higher boots," he said.
Keay added that if you are heading out on a multi-day hike, bring a washcloth with you. Ticks take a while to burrow and this could stop them before it’s too late, he says.
He also recommended carrying some tweezers in a first aid kit in case you need to pull out a tick.
If you do find a tick on you or your pet, experts say get it off the body right away and monitor the area in case a rash begins.
"If you have any symptoms, go to your physician and get medication if needed," said Morshed.
If left untreated and if that tick was infected with the bacteria, it could lead to long-term health problems.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.