May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and Manitoba health officials are sharing some tips for preventing tick-borne diseases.
Blacklegged ticks can carry several diseases, such as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and most notably Lyme disease. They are most commonly found within and along the edge of forests and in areas with thick, woody shrubs and other vegetation.
You can minimize your risk of tick exposure by:
• applying an appropriate tick repellent, following label directions, on exposed skin and clothing
• inspecting themselves, children and pets after spending time outdoors
• staying to the centre of walking trails
• removing ticks as soon as possible from people and pets
• wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts
• keeping grass and shrubs around homes cut short to create drier environments that are less suitable for blacklegged tick survival.
Dr. Roxanne Neufeld from the Dauphin Veterinary Clinic says you also need to be looking out for your pets.
“If you are taking your dog out walking in tall grass, brush, any of our bush trails or along the river, you need to be checking your pets to see if they’ve picked up any ticks”
Dr. Neufeld says it’s very important to check yourself and your pets daily for ticks, recommending "if you’re out and about, do a daily tick check on yourself, your kids and your pets, just to make sure no one has picked up any of these creepy crawlies.”
It can be difficult to spot these small ticks buried in our pet’s fur, but Dr. Neufeld says there are many tick-prevention products available, with pour-on and tablet options. She says the best products are available through veterinary clinics, and advises you to get in touch with your veterinarian if you have any questions
If you find a tick on your pet, Roxanne recommends (1) put on a pair of gloves, (2) gently remove the tick, (3) put the tick in a container of alcohol to kill it, and then (4) wash your hands with soap and water.
To learn more about blacklegged ticks, tick-disease, symptoms and prevention visit the Manitoba government website.
People who think they may have anaplasmosis, babesiosis or Lyme disease should contact a doctor. For more information, they may also contact Health Links–Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) 1 888 315-9257.
