SASKATOON -- A team of researchers from the University of Saskatchewan are utilizing a new tick tracking app that aims to inform people of potential health risks.
The app is called eTick and Saskatchewan is the first prairie province to join the national network that identifies ticks within 24 business hours.
“In the province of Saskatchewan we have been monitoring tick bites for many years and in the older system we would have to mail the tick, however when we heard about this app we became interested in it’s faster turnaround,” said Dr. Maarten Voordouw, Researcher at the U of S..
The app was developed by a team of researchers at Bishop’s University in Quebec, and it was soon after implemented in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
Dr. Maarten Voordouw is one of 2 researchers studying the tick tracking system in Saskatchewan, Voordouw says he became of aware of the tracking system earlier this year and then decided to implement the technology back in April.
Using the application involves 2 steps, people are asked to first submit a phot of the tick and then secondly indicate where the tick was located when it was first noticed.
Following the submission, researchers will then analyze the photo and compare its legs and face to those of other tick species.
“30 year ago we had very little black legged ticks in Canada and now we have many, so the value of these programs is that it allows us to monitor the tick community in Saskatchewan,” said Voordouw.
According to eTick, by 2021 the Ministry of Health plans to use the app as the only platform for public tick submissions in Saskatchewan.
“The value of e-tick for Saskatchewan residents is that we can give residents timely information about their tick bites with scientific value, to keep them safe,” said Voordouw.
Researchers at the U of S have received 1,600 submissions since April.
