We are well into tick season in the Okanagan which means residents are at risk for Lyme Disease. To submit a tick for testing, save the tick in a container with a tight-fitting top. Dampen a small cotton ball and put it into the tick container to keep the tick alive. (A live tick is necessary for culturing the spirochete which causes Lyme disease.) Label the container with date shipped, name and address of person bitten or what type of animal the tick was from, what part of the body was bitten, and what part of the province the tick probably came from. Also include the name and address of your physician. Ticks must be submitted as soon as possible by a physician or public health professional to: BC Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory, Parasitology, 655 West 12th Avenue, Vancouver BC V5Z 4R4.

More information on Lyme Disease here