The month of May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month.
The Tri-counties, and most of Nova Scotia, are at high risk for Lyme Disease which is caused by tick bites, according to the Department of Health and Wellness.
President and Founder of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation Jim Wilson lets us know which ticks to watch out for.
“The dog tick and the wood tick are not effective at transmitting Lyme Disease, whereas the deer tick is very effective at transmitting it,” says Wilson. “There’s an abundance of the deer tick throughout Nova Scotia now.”
Wilson says that ticks tend to start low on your body and crawl up. Putting clothes in the dryer on heat for 15 minutes will kill any ticks that are attached. Wilson says in the nymph stage, ticks are very easy to miss.
Blacklegged or Deer Tick
You can avoid ticks by staying out of tall grass, low brush and shaded areas. On trails, stay on the middle of the path. There are also tick repellents available.
If a tick does bite you, it can be removed with a tick removal tool or tweezers. Wilson says its important to get effective treatment right away after a tick bite.
“It can be a life altering disease if left undiagnosed or misdiagnosed and untreated,” says Wilson. “It’s a multi-systemic disease so it can affect all systems of the body including the heart, the brain and the respiratory system.”
