Little sign of new tick-borne disease on Prince Edward Island — so far
‘Like anything else, take precautions,’ biology prof warns Islanders
Cases of the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis are rapidly increasing in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and it is likely only a matter of time before there are more cases on P.E.I., says a biologist who studies the critters.
"The ticks you get on P.E.I., a lot of them are brought from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick on birds and other animals flopping across the water," said Vett Lloyd, a biology professor at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick.
"It's not clear if there are established populations on P.E.I. or not. It would be surprising if there weren't."
Anaplasmosis is caused by anaplasma bacteria. Ticks pick it up from wild animals or birds, and can then pass it along to the people or pets it bites.
People can have a wide range of reactions to the bacteria, but for most it is a mild illness.
Some will have no symptoms at all, while some may feel like they have the flu. Others may have severe reactions such as anemia and damage to internal organs, sometimes resulting in death, although that is mostly an issue for immunocompromised people.
For years, anaplasmosis was relatively rare in the Maritimes, with the bacteria present in perhaps one per cent of ticks, Lloyd said. But incidence has increased 10-fold in the last four years in New Brunswick and almost that much in Nova Scotia.
Because it is caused by bacteria, anaplasmosis can be treated with antibiotics.
Get out and enjoy
Despite the risk from anaplasmosis, Lloyd recommends that people should still get outside and enjoy this beautiful part of the world.
"Like anything else, take precautions," she said.
"If you're in a heavy tick area, which would be most of New Brunswick, certainly the southern and coastal part, all of Nova Scotia, by all means go outside, enjoy the scenery, use bug spray, and absolutely do a tick check afterwards when you come inside."
Pets you want to take along for your adventures can be protected with flea and tick medicine.
At the end of any day spent where there may be ticks, check yourself in front of a mirror, Lloyd suggested. A tick will look like a freckle, but it will have eight legs.
Removing a tick early is important, because it takes about 18 hours for a tick to transfer bacteria to its host. This rule also applies to infection with Lyme disease, which like anaplasmosis is caused by a bacteria.
If possible, save the tick for testing and see a health-care professional soon after getting bitten, Lloyd said.
With files from Island Morning