New Brunswick is keeping a closer eye on the province’s tick population, and has a new online tracker so people can see where black-legged ticks are most prevalent.
Black-legged ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, and it’s hoped the online tool will raise awareness of areas where there’s a higher risk of being bitten by one.
“As the warmer weather arrives, so, too, does the risk of encountering blacklegged ticks,” Dr. Yves Léger, the province’s chief medical officer of health, said in a release.
The map is categorized by health zones and will be updated monthly. It currently shows that the southern parts of the province are considered a higher-risk area, while the northern parts are considered lower risk.
In Saint John, which is included in the high-risk area, people say they’re taking the warning seriously.
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“We have heard there’s an increased risk of ticks this year, which is concerning. So, we just try to take as much precaution as we can,” Nick Landry said.
“The kids enjoy hiking. We would just make sure they are wearing long sleeves, long pants, long shirts if possible and make sure we have some good repellent on and we also have a little tick tool we could use to pull them out, in case.”
Others say they’ve incorporated “tick checks” on their bodies as part of their routine.
“It does worry me a little bit. Especially since I come over here into the woods a bunch and stuff so I just go home and do an overall check,” Hilary Doucette said.
“They can hide literally anywhere, it’s crazy.”
Sharp rise in Lyme disease in Canada
Experts say warmer winters are helping disease-carrying ticks survive farther north, driving a sharp rise in Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses across parts of New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.
Reported Lyme disease cases in Canada climbed from 917 in 2015 to more than 5,200 preliminary cases in 2024, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
New Brunswick’s data shows black-legged tick exposures for both animals and humans in the month of May have averaged 174.3 over the previous three years. For this May, it’s 446.
The website also shows there have been 1,747 visits to a health-care professional for suspected high-risk tick bites in humans over the last 12 months.
A tick usually needs to be attached for at least 24 hours before it can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. The province asks anyone who develops symptoms such as a rash, fever, fatigue or flu-like illness after a bite to contact a health-care provider.
— with files from Reeti Meenakshi Rohilla and Prisha Dev
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