Jill McAllister from Tick Awareness Canada at the Sportsman Day event at the Cypress Centre on Saturday.

By Alex McCuaig

Ticks are back

Tick awareness advocate warns of dangers carried by insect

Jan 30, 2020 | 5:09 PM

Medicine Hat, AB – Ticks are eight-legged insects which can borrow into the tissue of just about any warm-blooded animal. And while that can be distressing enough for people, the diseases they carry can be life-altering and difficult to diagnose – Lyme disease being the most common.

Tick-borne Lyme disease was once thought to be non-existent in Alberta and fairly rare in Canada outside some areas in southern Ontario and Quebec. But since Alberta launched its Tick Surveillance Program in 2013, a number of submitted ticks have been found to carry the bacteria which causes Lyme disease – including half a dozen from southeastern Alberta.

Jill McAllister, founder of Tick Awareness Canada, said the issue is close to her heart after a series of misdiagnosis of her son Connor over years finally revealed he had tick-borne infections.

“There is no such thing as a good tick bite,” said McAllister at her booth during Saturday’s Sportsman Day at the Cypress Centre. “You want to remove it properly. Proper removal reduces the risk of infection and education is needed.”

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McAllister said the insects can be active year-round and held up a jar of ticks recovered from a dead moose earlier this month.

She added that there have recorded instances of ticks native to places such as Brazil being found in the province that have come from migratory birds.

And migratory birds are a source for ticks, confirmed Police Point Park Interpreter Marty Drut.

While not common at Police Point, they do occur said Drut who has had personal experience in dealing with the insect.

“I’ve had a few encounters with them,” he said, estimating he has had two to four in the last dozen years. “You just want to be aware of that so when you do leave the area, you are conscience about checking yourself thoroughly to make sure to get rid of them if they are on you.”

More information on ticks and what to do if you have one is available here.