MANITOULIN–Have you been walking in wooded or grassy areas? Remember to do a tick check to protect yourself against ticks and Lyme disease.
“Ticks cannot fly, but they can get on you if you brush against vegetation,” says Jonathan Groulx, an environmental support officer with the Environmental Health Division of the Sudbury & District Health Unit (SDHU). “If you go into wooded or grassy areas, it is recommended to wear a long-sleeved, light-coloured shirt, pants, and closed-toe shoes. Pants should be tucked into socks and insect repellant should be used on all exposed skin. Choose repellants according to age: adults and kids over 12 can use products with up to 30% DEET.” After being outdoors, check yourself and those in your care for ticks. Ask for someone’s help to check spots that you can’t see. Changing clothes and taking a shower will help wash off ticks that have not yet attached themselves.
Ticks vary in size and colour. They can be hard to see until they engorge themselves with blood. Adult females are three to five millimeters long before they feed, but young ticks are smaller and lighter in colour.
Lyme disease is carried in blacklegged ticks which are NOT common to the SDHU area; however, they can travel on migratory birds. The first and only confirmed human case of Lyme disease in the Health Unit’s area was reported in 2008.
If a tick is found embedded in the skin, tweezers should be used to remove it as soon as possible. Hold the tick gently with the tweezers, as close to its head as possible, and pull it out slowly. Afterwards, clean the area and apply a bandage if necessary. Place the tick in a dry container and give it to your health care provider or local health unit. They will send it to a provincial laboratory for testing. Ticks are most likely to transmit infection after being attached for more than 24 hours of feeding.
Symptoms of Lyme disease can include a general rash, flu-like symptoms, fever, feeling unwell, fatigue, joint pain, chills, stiff neck, headache, muscle aches, or swollen glands. One of the characteristic signs of the disease is a bull’s eye rash: the bite area is surrounded by a round, red rash.
Symptoms vary from person to person, and the disease can only be diagnosed through a blood test. Left untreated, Lyme disease can affect the heart and, in rare cases, lead to death. Antibiotics are used to prevent the disease.
For more information on Lyme disease and blacklegged ticks, call 705.522.9200, ext. 398, toll-free 1.866.522.9200.
