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Lyme-disease carrying ticks on the rise in Alberta
Edmonton a possible hotspot; 6 things to watch for.
By BEV BETKOWSKI
Up to one in five Albertans bitten by ticks this summer could be at risk for Lyme disease, a University of Alberta expert says.
Once thought to be rare in the province, encounters with Lyme-carrying ticks are rising and Edmonton could be a hotspot for the pesky parasite, said entomologist Janet Sperling.
“We need to recognize that we have a problem that is getting bigger, not smaller,” said Sperling, whose son was once infected with Lyme disease. A board member of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, she’s currently studying the bacteria that ticks carry, in a quest to ultimately find better long-term medical treatment for victims.