Ticks on the rise in Alberta

By Miriam Ostermann, Associate Editor

The number of ticks found on humans and animals is on the rise in Alberta, bringing with them a greater risk of tick-borne diseases – including Lyme disease.
Since 2013, Alberta Health Services (AHS) environmental health offices and health centres on First Nation reserves started accepting ticks found on humans or in the environment. The program was an expansion of the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Surveillance of Ticks on Companion Animals program that began in 2007. In that program, veterinarians submitted ticks found by the public on companion animals – mainly cats and dogs – which were then tested for the type of species and the bacteria – Borrelia burgdorferi – that can cause Lyme disease.
In 2016, results showed 90 per cent of ticks found on companion animals were found on dogs. Overall the program revealed non-blacklegged ticks found in Alberta rose to 1,499 from 982 the previous year. The ticks that tested positive for the bacteria B. burgdorferi, all of which were found on animals, climbed to 35 from 11 the year previously, while blacklegged ticks that tested negative for the bacteria increased to 147 from 64 in 2015.
According to the federal government, the number of ticks submitted to the program increased almost three-fold from 2013 to 2016.
Although Strathmore’s Sevick Veterinary Services hasn’t treated any animals for ticks, the Strathmore Veterinary Clinic has dealt with five cases, while a dozen animals – mostly dogs and horses – have already been brought to the Animal Care Centre of Strathmore to have ticks removed.
“Ticks are on the rise in Alberta and they’re here to stay,” said Jodi Viste, veterinarian and owner of the Animal Care Centre in Strathmore. ‘They’re so hard to control, they’re hard to kill in the environment and a lot of pesticides have been banned. So they move very rapidly and they can go on wildlife that can help them move around.
“We’re not seeing Lyme disease in any other species so far, so it’s mainly dogs that we’re worried about with ticks,” she adds. “The biggest concern is ticks that carry Lyme disease are now in Alberta and they haven’t been in the past.”
The number of ticks found on humans and animals is on the rise in Alberta, bringing with them a greater risk of tick-borne diseases – including Lyme disease.
Since 2013, Alberta Health Services (AHS) environmental health offices and health centres on First Nation reserves started accepting ticks found on humans or in the environment. The program was an expansion of the Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s Surveillance of Ticks on Companion Animals program that began in 2007. In that program, veterinarians submitted ticks found by the public on companion animals – mainly cats and dogs – which were then tested for the type of species and the bacteria – Borrelia burgdorferi – that can cause Lyme disease.
In 2016, results showed 90 per cent of ticks found on companion animals were found on dogs. Overall the program revealed non-blacklegged ticks found in Alberta rose to 1,499 from 982 the previous year. The ticks that tested positive for the bacteria B. burgdorferi, all of which were found on animals, climbed to 35 from 11 the year previously, while blacklegged ticks that tested negative for the bacteria increased to 147 from 64 in 2015.
According to the federal government, the number of ticks submitted to the program increased almost three-fold from 2013 to 2016.
Although Strathmore’s Sevick Veterinary Services hasn’t treated any animals for ticks, the Strathmore Veterinary Clinic has dealt with five cases, while a dozen animals – mostly dogs and horses – have already been brought to the Animal Care Centre of Strathmore to have ticks removed.
“Ticks are on the rise in Alberta and they’re here to stay,” said Jodi Viste, veterinarian and owner of the Animal Care Centre in Strathmore. ‘They’re so hard to control, they’re hard to kill in the environment and a lot of pesticides have been banned. So they move very rapidly and they can go on wildlife that can help them move around.
“We’re not seeing Lyme disease in any other species so far, so it’s mainly dogs that we’re worried about with ticks,” she adds. “The biggest concern is ticks that carry Lyme disease are now in Alberta and they haven’t been in the past.”
While it can takes weeks and months for Lyme disease to manifest in canines after infection, the illness isn’t as noticeable as in humans. The dogs will show signs of arthritis and sometimes fever, and if left untreated the disease can cause serious long-term glomerular disease, a type of kidney damage. For dogs, there’s a monthly $20 preventative pill that causes biting ticks or fleas to die.
Because ticks are not host specific, Viste stated that pet owners may be at a greater risk of having the ticks transfer within their homes.
“If a dog is out running in the tall grass and they bring ticks back to your household and you’re sitting there petting them at night, that tick can climb onto you,” she said.
A total of 87 cases of Lyme disease were reported to AHS between 1991 to 2016, with 10 cases two years ago.
In humans, Lyme disease symptoms may include a fever, muscle and joint pain, headache, fatigue, and weakness or paralysis of the muscles or face. Nearly half of the individuals infected with the disease also have a red, round skin rash at the site of the tick bite that can expand over a few days and weeks into a bull’s eye appearance.
If left untreated, symptoms can include ongoing muscle and joint problems, abnormal heartbeat, brain dysfunction and nervous system disorders.
Other ticks found in Alberta can also carry organisms that may cause diseases in humans including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia disease and Powassan virus.
AHS suggests people and animals stay on cleared trails when possible and avoid walking in tall grassy or wooded areas, wear light-coloured clothing, cover up as much skin as possible, use a bug spray that contains DEET or Icaridin to repel ticks, and check yourself and your pets for ticks after having been outside.
When a tick is found on a pet, individuals are encouraged to contact their local vet to find out if the tick can be submitted for testing. If a tick is attached to the skin or the individual is concerned about the bite or is showing symptoms, AHS advises to speak to a physician and bring the tick to the appointment. Collected ticks can be submitted to an AHS environmental health office or a First Nations health centre.

To remove a tick:
1) Using tweezers, gently grasp its head and mouth parts as close to your skin as possible.
2) Without squeezing the tick, slowly pull the tick straight up off the skin – do not jerk or twist it.
3) Do not apply matches, cigarettes or petroleum jelly to the tick.
4) Once the tick has been removed, clean the bite area with soap and water and disinfect the area with an antiseptic. Wash hands with soap and water.
5) Save the tick in a clean, empty container. Do not add any ventilation holes to the container that is being used to put the tick(s) in. You can put more than one tick in the container if they are found on the same person or in the same general area in the environment.
6) Add a small piece of tissue or cotton ball, lightly moistened with water, into the container to prevent the tick(s) from drying out.
7) Submit the tick for testing as soon as possible to the Alberta Tick Surveillance Program.
For more information, visit health.alberta.ca/health-info/lyme-disease.html