A Merritt, B.C., father is warning others concerning the hazard of tick bites after a severe medical emergency involving his younger son.
“Sheer panic,” is how Jamie Stevens describes the emotion he felt on the time.
The Merritt boy awoke final Thursday morning unable to stroll.
“He was falling. His legs weren’t holding up his weight,” Stevens mentioned. “Like he’d attempt to get up after which he’d fall.”
Stevens says docs on the native hospital couldn’t decide a trigger and referred him to a pediatrician.
However after they received house, they found a big tick hooked up to the boy’s scalp.
“It was fairly horrifying to see,” Stevens mentioned. “I’ve by no means seen a tick, like an engorged tick earlier than.”
Stevens believes the tick latched onto his son throughout a latest quick hike they did in a grassy space on a bluff close to their house.
Whereas not widespread, consultants say that sure tick species trigger paralysis by releasing a neurotoxin into the bloodstream.
“Not all ticks, for instance, can carry the micro organism that causes Lyme illness,” mentioned Jade Savage, a full professor at Bishop’s College specializing in entomology.
“Totally different species could cause different issues, so tick paralysis, for instance.”
Whereas most tick species grow to be lively as quickly because the snow melts, consultants say outside lovers have to be tick conscious year-round.
Get day by day Nationwide information
Get day by day Canada information delivered to your inbox so you will by no means miss the day’s prime tales.
“In British Columbia, folks ought to concentrate on ticks 12 months out of the 12 months as a result of totally different species of ticks are lively at a special time of the 12 months,” Savage mentioned. “Nevertheless, most species are fairly immune to the chilly.”
Whereas tick bites could cause severe issues, there are methods to scale back the dangers beginning with realizing the place ticks are often lurking.
“Should you stay on gravel paths, if you happen to keep away from vegetation, if you happen to keep away from tall herbs — from forest edges, for instance — then the ticks don’t fall out of skinny air,” Savage mentioned.
“They need to be hooked up to vegetation. That’s the place most of them are. That’s the place they’re ready for you.”
Savage mentioned one other technique to cut back the chance is by protecting up with lengthy sleeves and lengthy pants and tucking socks into pant legs.
She added that utilizing repellents, reminiscent of DEET, can even assist.
However Savage mentioned common tick checks are key, particularly within the hard-to-see spots such because the scalp, hairline and behind the ears.
“That is one thing that anybody that goes into any potential tick habitat ought to do each night,” Savage mentioned.
And whether or not utilizing tweezers or a tick elimination hook, Savage advises to by no means twist when pulling off an embedded tick.
“You may (break) the top off,” Savage mentioned. “That may go away the top and the pores and skin, which might be uncomfortable however generally it may well additionally lead the tick to regurgitate into the pores and skin.”
After discovering the tick on Milo’s scalp, the boy was introduced again to hospital the place Stevens says docs used a topical sort of cream to take away the insect.
He mentioned after about 24 hours, his son was virtually again to his regular self.
Regardless of the terrifying incident, Stevens says he and his youngsters received’t cease climbing however he added that they are going to be much more vigilant checking for ticks.
“Oh, completely,” he mentioned. “He has two siblings that reside right here, too, so we’ll all be doing it collectively.”
© 2026 International Information, a division of Corus Leisure Inc.
