A tick can bite a hiker and infect them. (CBC)

Public health officials say ticks found around Gavelton carry the bacteria that can lead to Lyme disease.

Residents and doctors in the Yarmouth County community are being warned about the discovery.

Dr. Lynda Earle, medical officer of health for South West Health, said people should take precautions before venturing into grassy or wooded areas, even though the risk of catching Lyme disease is low.

She said ticks are active until the air temperature consistently falls below 4 degrees.

A tick picks up the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi when it feeds on an infected animal, then passes it on when it bites its next meal. A circular rash around the bite is the first sign of an infection.

Symptoms of Lyme disease include fatigue, chills, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, it can lead to chronic arthritis and even numbness and paralysis.

Ticks carrying the bacteria have also been found in Halifax, Lunenburg, Pictou and Shelburne counties.