"It is definitely not something anybody wants to see established in Canada, but the probability of this happening are relatively high," she said. The ticks' presence is a concern because with the new species comes new pathogens, Savage said, and the lone star tick, in particular, is "an aggressive biter." The lone star tick has been spotted in Quebec and the public health bodies in the province are urging residents wo watch for them. "The lone star tick is expected by many to be the next step primarily because we're getting warmer winters." ![]() "Everybody knows that the lone star tick is slowly moving northward, a little like what we saw with the blacklegged tick almost 30 years ago," said Savage. border.Ĭlimate change and habitat loss are making it almost inevitable that the arthropods that typically live in the southeastern United States and Mexico will show up more often in Canada. "Ticks, and the blacklegged tick that everyone is talking about, do very much like humidity, cool weather, so as soon as there's no more snow cover on the ground, they will begin their activity," said Bishop's University professor Jade Savage, who runs the website eTick, which monitors tick activity across the country.Ī new species that public health authorities are monitoring with concern is the lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), which has been spotted but is not yet established north of the U.S. ![]() Of those, around four interact with humans, the most concerning being the blacklegged (deer) tick (Ixodes scapularis) that can carry Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria). In Quebec, there are about a dozen species of tick of the around 40 in Canada. As the snow melts, grass grows, and the sun comes out, Montrealers in short pants are not the only species to emerge in the parks and trails of the region.
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