Lyme Disease-carrying ticks: 5 things you should know

A suspecteddiagnosis of Lymedisease in a young girl in Newfoundland and Labrador has opened a discussion about the dangers of the disease and the ticks that carry it.

It's believed the 4-year-old girl from Brigusmay have contracted the disease when playing outside. If diagnosed, hers would be the first caseof someone in the province being diagnosed with Lyme disease.

• Lyme disease diagnosis in 4-year-old Brigus girl could be 1st in N.L.
• Increased risk of Lyme disease as more ticks move to N.L.

To help shed light on Lymedisease and the ways in which people can contractit, CBC Radio's On The Go caught up with Dr. Hugh Whitney, the province's Chief Veterinary Officer.

Here are five things Newfoundlanders and Labradorians should be aware of when it comes to Lymedisease-carrying ticks.

Ticks attach themselves tobirds

Whitney says most of the Lymedisease-infected ticks arrive inthis province by attaching to birds and making the trip across the Gulfof Saint Lawrence.

"There's been a risk of Lyme disease in this province for a number of years now," he said.

"We get the ticks arriving here every year on migratory songbirds that spread the disease."

Ticks can take three hosts in alifespan

Whitney said ticks typically feed on small animals like mice and birds as well asbigger animals like deer. In fact, he said the white-tailed deer is the most common animal found in Canada with tick infestations.

"The tick, which is commonly called the black egged tick or the deer tick, takes three different blood meals in its life," he said.

If a tick were to attached itself to a bird on the mainland and then comes to Newfoundland, it could potentially attach itself to a dog or person for its next meal.

Diseased tickson the rise

While reports of blacklegged ticks vary across the country, Whitney said officials have foundthat numbers are on the rise.

"In earlier years in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick it was closer to 10 per cent and now it's more around 20 per cent, and I think that's a phenomenon that's seen elsewhere in Canada," he said.

"There are permanent populations which now exist in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia they have it permanently there.The closer that front gets to you it seems the higher the percentage you get that actually has the bacteria."

Newfoundland at lowest risk

Whitney said his office submits rough 30 to 40 ticks from the province every year for testing, and only about 20 per cent of them are found to have Lymedisease.

While mostticks are foundon dogs, he said heoccasionally sees cases of ticks on people as well.

"Of all the provinces in Canada this province has the lowest risk," he said.

"But it's not zero risk, so that possibility has happened."

How to detect andprevent disease

Whitney said most people or animals get ticks on their body when walking through long grass or bushes.

He said one thing people need to be aware of is that it takes 36 hours for a tick to transfer the disease to the person or animal it has attached itself.

Therefore, he said,people should be vigilant as the insects can beextremely small and hard to see.

"Ticks can be very tiny and there's three stages; larvae, nymph and adult," he said.

"The nymph can be as small as a sesame seed, so people should cover their legs and do a tick check when you get home."