Lyme Disease in Saskatchewan
Lyme disease is an infection transmitted to people through the bite of a black-legged tick infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Lyme disease is a serious illness that may affect the joints, the heart and nervous system resulting in long-term illness. However, if treated early with the appropriate antibiotics, most people with Lyme disease will completely recover.
1. Risk in Saskatchewan
The risk for Lyme disease is low in Saskatchewan, but not zero.
Most ticks (97 per cent) found in Saskatchewan are the American dog tick. This species is not capable of transmitting Lyme disease to people. Rocky Mountain wood ticks and the winter tick (or moose tick) are also found in Saskatchewan.
Of the 26,666 ticks collected and identified in Saskatchewan since 2008, only 65 were black-legged ticks. Among these 65, only eight black-legged ticks tested positive for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Detailed surveillance data.