Warmer weather is bringing increased tick bite risks in tall grass and wooded areas.
Anyone heading into those areas should take precautions to avoid tick bites, such as walking on clear trails, cover body in light coloured clothing, tuck pant legs into socks, and apply insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin.
Resident Physician with Interior Health, Dr. Jamal Yazdi says tick bites can lead to illness.
“You can see Lyme disease in Canada, less in Interior Health, but we have wood tick that is mainly involved with transmitting a rare disease called Rocky Mountain spotted fever.”
It’s important to check clothing and scalp after leaving an area where ticks may live, and to check pets for any on them.
To remove a tick, Yazdi says to use a needle-nose tweezer, and remove it very gently as pressure or stress on the tick could worsen the infection.
Once removed, clean the area with soap and water and check for other ticks, and if you feel any symptoms such as a fever he says to talk to a doctor.
More information on ticks and where to identify them can be done on eTick.ca.
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