The tick population in
What we've seen is definitely an expansion," said Robbin Lindsay, a research scientist with the agency. "Tick populations are expanding into new areas and in different provinces where we haven't seen them before."
The agency has now confirmed populations in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, on Vancouver Island, in the southeastern corner of
There have also been human cases of Lyme disease corresponding with the spread of the bugs across the country, and Dr. Lindsay expects the numbers to grow as the ticks establish new habitats. Lyme disease can have devastating effects for those it infects. It can often be hard to diagnose, which can result in months of suffering and confusion…..
….The official number of reported cases of Lyme disease in
A male Ixodes ricinus tick (smaller) copulating with a female tick (larger). This shudder-worthy pest is a vector for the spirochete that causes Lyme disease. Image from the Centers for Disease Control, Wikimedia Commons