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Ticks test positive for Lyme disease

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 07/30/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

Black-legged ticks -- the kind that carry Lyme disease -- have been found in the south central part of the province, Manitoba Health warns.

The ticks infected with the disease were found around Stanley Trail, the department said in a release Thursday.

The ticks were found and collected in the area as part of the provincial tick surveillance program. Some of the ticks have tested positive for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease, which the ticks can transmit to humans.

They were likely brought to the area by migratory birds which perch and rest along the trail's forested area, Manitoba Health said. The wooded area provides suitable habitat for blacklegged ticks. However, agricultural areas surrounding the trail area are unlikely to support many ticks.

Symptoms of Lyme disease can start about three days to one month after a tick bite. Early symptoms include headache, a stiff neck, muscle aches or fatigue, fever, chills and swollen lymph nodes. Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics and treatment is most successful in the early stages of infection.

There are three cases of Lyme disease under investigation this year. In 2009, Manitoba had one confirmed case of Lyme disease and four probable cases.

Black-legged ticks found in the past in locations around the province are believed to have arrived with birds migrating from the south.

Manitoba Health is encouraging people to minimize contact with black-legged ticks by:

-- limiting contact with tall grass or other vegetation along wooded areas and staying to the centre of hiking trails or paths;

-- wearing light-coloured clothing to make it easier to see ticks that may be on skin or clothing;

-- wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt in tall-grass habitats or wooded areas where ticks are most commonly found;

-- applying an appropriate repellent on clothing and exposed skin after reading and following instructions for use.

-- inspecting oneself, children and pets for ticks and removing them as soon as possible.

-- keeping grass mowed to help reduce the amount of habitat suitable for ticks.

-- Staff

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 30, 2010 B2

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