PICTOU, N.S. - Health officials say blacklegged ticks, the type capable of carrying and transmitting Lyme disease, have been found in parts of Nova Scotia's Pictou County.
Dr. Maureen Baikie, the province's deputy chief medical officer of health, says ticks are here to stay, but the risk of Lyme disease is low in most areas.
Baikie says it's important to be aware and take precautions when working, playing or hiking in grassy or wooded areas.
The ticks were found as part of an ongoing surveillance program by the departments of Natural Resources and Health Promotion and Protection, in conjunction with the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory.
Ticks have been found around Melmerby Beach, Egerton, Kings Head and Pine Tree, Powell's Point and Thorburn.
The areas will be monitored closely.
?? The Canadian Press, 2010