Ticks found in Yukon were brought in by people returning from vacation
4 ticks were sent for testing, none carried diseases
At least four ticks were found on people and pets this summer in Yukon, but officials say there's no reason to panic.
Michelle Thompson, the acting program veterinarian for Yukon's Animal Health Unit, says none of the ticks were carrying diseases. She says it's important to keep track of the types of ticks found in the territory and where they are coming from.
"We haven't seen a really drastic increase, but it is something that we definitely want to be aware of," she said. "We always encourage people to share information like that with us."
Ticks are parasites that live off blood and usually prefer to feast on mammals. Two of the ticks delivered to Yukon's animal health unit were found on people, the other two were on dogs. All the ticks were sent to a federal microbiology lab in Winnipeg that monitors ticks nation-wide.
Thompson says the lab results revealed three different species of ticks. She says one of the species found on a dog — the rabbit tick — is already known to be found in Yukon. It is usually found on hares, as the name implies.
The other two species — the rocky mountain wood tick and the American dog tick — are not found in Yukon. They were apparently carried up on people and a dog who had recently travelled in southern Canada, in places including B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan.
"When we receive a tick from a person or a dog ... one of our standard questions is whether or not there's been any history of travel, because that's important for us to be able to track, and also important in terms of determining what the species is," Thompson said.
"In the event that we are seeing something new, or an increase, we'll be aware and keeping on top of it."
Thompson says although wood ticks and dog ticks can carry diseases of concern, these particular ticks were picked up in areas where problematic diseases are not prevalent.
No human-feeding or disease-carrying ticks in the territory
Dr. Brendan Hanley, Yukon's chief medical officer of health, says there are no human-feeding resident ticks known in Yukon. There also no ticks in the territory that carry diseases that affect humans.
"I think it is much more important for Yukoners that travel outside [of the territory] to be aware of tick precautions when travelling in Lyme [disease]-prevalent areas, rather than worry about getting a tick bite in Yukon," he says.
People who do find a tick on themselves should contact a health care professional. Likewise, pets with ticks attached to them should be taken to a veterinarian.
Thompson says pet owners can also see a vet about getting preventative medication for their dog, if they are taking it to an area known to have ticks.
Ticks wanted
Environment Yukon says winter ticks are commonly found on elk in the territory. They were confirmed in Yukon in the 1990s and can now sometimes be found on other ungulates, as well as bears and coyotes.
The territorial government says climate affects the range of winter ticks, and the government is now monitoring them. Environment Yukon is asking hunters to voluntarily bring in their deer, caribou and moose hides to be examined for ticks.
It says elk hides are already a mandatory harvest submission.
Yukoners can also report tick sightings using the iNaturalist app, which is tracked by Yukon's Conservation Data Centre.