Reports of Lone Star ticks showing up in London, Ontario, and Winnipeg have rolled in over the last few days.

Southern Health-Santé Sud Medical Officer of Health Dr. Michael RoutledgeTheir bites can cause an allergy to red meat.

Southern Health-Santé Sud Medical Officer of Health Dr. Michael Routledge says it's not something that's alarming to the RHA. He notes sightings of the Lone Star tick are few and far between in Manitoba.

"The general thinking is they're still spread here with the occasional bird transporting it here from the southeastern United States," he says. "They're not established in Manitoba and not looking like they will be established in Manitoba any time soon. Now, that could change, but right now, we don't have any evidence they're particularly established here in Manitoba."

Routledge stresses the RHA doesn't have any immediate concerns, but that doesn't mean no action's going to be taken.

"Right now the maps for the Lone Star tick are really a fair bit away from Manitoba, and Canada, for that matter," he says. "So not really good evidence that we're going to see it in Manitoba any time some, but we do that sporadically they show up, so there are programs to monitor, and if we find out different information about different kinds of ticks, then that will be part of the communications around tick-borne diseases."