Health lab checks ticks for Lyme disease

A cluster of blacklegged ticks capable of carrying Lyme disease has been found in the Bedford area.

The discovery was made after a woman brought in specimens she found on her dog following a walk through Admiral Coves Park.

Robbin Lindsay, an entomologist who has spent the past two years studying ticks in Lunenburg County, says the ticks found in Bedford make up the largest concentration of the species ever found outside of the Lunenburg area.

"People can still enjoy the outdoors but now they just have to be a little more vigilant and check themselves out in the environment," he said, recommending people wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants in wooded areas.

All 44 ticks tested at the national microbiology lab in Winnipeg were negative for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection, transmitted by blacklegged ticks when they attach themselves to the skin. The symptoms include fever and headaches. It can lead to more serious problems, such as chronic arthritis.

There have been three reported cases of Lyme disease in Nova Scotia since 2002.

• PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCY OF CANADA: Lyme disease fact sheet