By Charles Lefebvre

Tick season is underway, residents reminded to be aware

May 24, 2018 | 4:17 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — A Medicine Hat man is reminding residents to be aware of ticks after removing one found on his girlfriend in the city last week.

Gavin Coburn and his girlfriend Melissa Lemire were out using a fire pit at Kin Coulee Park last Friday. When they got home, Gavin spotted a tick on Lemire’s leg

“She didn’t believe me at first, because I usually joke around with her, but I said ‘No, you have a tick, and it’s feeding on your leg,’” he said.

Coburn says he used a lighter to remove the tick, and they kept it, planning to take it to a doctor and see if the tick is carrying Lyme disease.

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Early symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash near the site of the tick bite, fever, chills and aches, which can occur between three and 30 days after being bitten. If left untreated, severe headaches, joint pain and facial paralysis may occur.

Coburn adds the couple were not out in long grass on Friday, where ticks can often be found, but believes it was on the picnic table when she was bitten.

He says the incident should serve as a reminder to be aware of the parasite when they are out this summer.

“Always double check, no matter where you are outdoors,” he said. “Bike paths, under trees, on picnic benches, et cetera.”

Alberta Health Services is reminding Albertans that there is a higher risk of people or pets coming into contact with ticks as the weather heats up.

“More people are out, it’s warm, they’re more likely to be traipsing around in forests, it’s that more than anything that increases our risk,” said Dr. Lizette Elumir, medical officer of health for the South Zone, over the phone from Lethbridge.

Elumir says since the winter has ended, people across Alberta have started submitting ticks if they discover them on themselves or their pets. AHS advises people to remove the ticks with a set of tweezers and bring it to a doctor, veterinarian or a Public Health Office for analysis.

“We want to always have an idea of the risk for Lyme disease in our area,” she said. “The more and more we have ticks, the more we can test, and the more we can test, the more we can know, and find bacteria and know whether our risk is low.”

Last year, 2,852 ticks were submitted for testing in Alberta, says Elumir. Of the ticks tested, 48 were discovered to be carrying the bacteria which causes Lyme disease.