Tick surveillance program watching closely for ticks that can carry Lyme disease
Doing a ‘tick check’ takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to wood tick surveillance across Saskatchewan, especially when ticks are popping up in regions where no one is used to seeing them.
Phil Curry is the chief entomologist with the Ministry of Health and he says the province runs an aggressive surveillance program.
“The dog tick is really expanding its range, so in the last 15 years we’re seeing this tick in areas where people have had no experience with ticks and so they’re just not used to them,” he explained. “They’re not used to looking for them, they don’t even know what they look like.”
Curry said decades ago dog ticks were only found in parts southeast Saskatchewan, they have moved into agricultural areas and up as far north as Shellbrook, Spiritwood and even up to North Battleford.