Precautions can reduce chance of getting tick-borne disease

By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman - Lethbridge Herald on August 2, 2023.

Photo courtesy Dan Johnson A specimen of the more common Dermacentor (wood tick or dog tick, which does not transmit Lyme disease) collected from the Magrath area.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com

A local pharmacist is raising awareness about Lyme disease and how to protect yourself, your family and your pets.

Pharmacist and associate owner of two local Shoppers Drug Mart stores, Loa Manning said Lyme disease is caused by a bacteria that is transmitted by tick bites and as our winters become more mild we’re seeing more ticks everywhere in Canada.

“If the temperatures are above zero, they (ticks) can still live and anyone who spends anytime outdoors is at risk,” said Manning.

 She said that even though there are 40 species of ticks in Canada, the black legged or deer tick and the western black legged tick are the ones that carry Lyme disease and other types of infections.

 “Your pharmacist is a great resource if you think you’ve been bitten by a tick. If you have a tick on you, you want to pull it off with tweezers as soon as possible, because it has to actually be on your skin for 24 hours before the bacteria can actually be transmitted,” said Manning.

 She said because sometimes it is difficult to distinguish between ticks that transmit the disease and those that don’t, people should keep the tick after removal and bring it to their doctor or pharmacist, or health care provider so they can help identify it.

 “The treatment is prophylactic antibiotics. If you think you have been bitten, the sooner you get treated the better, because some people do not experience any symptoms of Lyme disease for up to 30 days, and sometimes people don’t realize they were bitten,” said Manning.

 She said to make sure people become aware of any bites or ticks on them, they should check themselves and their pets as soon as they go inside, especially if they have been around tall grass.

 “The symptoms are pretty vague, as they are fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, but the rash that looks like a bullseye, which is one of the symptoms, doesn’t happen all the time with people, so it’s important to keep track of where you were,” said Manning.

 She said keeping track of where you have been can help determine months down the road if you develop symptoms because sometimes it takes people a while to find out that they actually have Lyme disease or that they were bitten in the first place.

 “Prevention is definitely the best. If you go anywhere that has long grass, so even a golf course or people’s backyard, you technically could have a risk of getting a tick bite. So, you want to wear light coloured clothing so it’s easier to see the ticks, tuck in your socks, your shirt and then most important every time you come inside you should be doing a check of your skin, and pets,” said Manning.

 She said that ideally people should shower or have a bath after coming from outside, especially if time was spent in a grassy area.

 “Lyme disease is a bacterial infection and that’s why it’s important to get those prophylactic antibiotics right away, and finding out if you have been bitten as soon as possible is so important,” said Manning. She said other ways to protect yourself and those around you is by keeping your lawn short, using insect repellent with DEET in it, and washing clothes after being in a high-risk area in case any ticks on your clothes aren’t noticed.

“To kill unattached ticks put clothes in your dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes, and if you wash your clothes use the hot water cycle because they can survive cold wash cycles,” said Manning.

An online information sheet on the Government of Alberta website says the risk of getting Lyme disease from a tick bite in Alberta is considered very low.

“Most tick species in Alberta do not carry Borrelia (B.) burgdorferi, the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease in people. However, there is evidence that tick species capable of carrying the bacteria are expanding their range in Canada,” the page says.

“Between 1991 and 2021, there were 149 human cases of Lyme disease reported to the Ministry of Health. All cases reported were acquired while travelling outside of the province, in areas where ticks that carry the Lyme disease are known to circulate,” it stated on the page found at thttps://www.alberta.ca/lyme-disease-tick-surveillance.aspx

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