Protect yourself from Lyme disease this summer in the woods

With the summer right around the corner more people are heading into wooded areas for walks and nature outings to bask in warmer weather.

But there can be drawbacks to exploring parks, conservation areas and wilderness areas.

Doing so can lead to contracting Lyme disease from deer ticks lurking in the undergrowth.

Increases in the disease in recent years have led the Ontario government to once again advise people to take precautions to reduce the risk while still enjoying the outdoors.

Lyme disease and other tickborne diseases can cause potentially serious infections if you’re bitten by an infected blacklegged tick, commonly called a deer tick, said the Ministry of Health.

If you have symptoms such as fever, headache, chills, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and an expanding circular rash that resembles a bulls-eye, consult a health care provider as soon as possible,” the ministry said.

“As we start enjoying the warmer weather again, it is important that we all take steps to protect ourselves and loved ones from tick bites and tick-borne diseases,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

“Blacklegged ticks are continuing to spread to new areas of the province, but by being proactive, we can combat the risk they pose and safely enjoy the beauty of Ontario over the coming months.”

If you are living, working, visiting, or enjoying outdoor activities in a wooded area, or an area with tall grass and bushes (including city gardens and parks) you are at greater risk of being bitten by a tick.

You can protect yourself by:

■ Wearing light-coloured clothing, easier to spot ticks.

■ Wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants tucked into your socks, closed-toed shoes, or any special clothing designed to repel ticks.

■ Applying insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin on your exposed skin and your clothes.

■ Checking yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks after being outdoors.

Any ticks found should be removed right away.

■ Putting your clothes on high heat in a dryer for at least 10 minutes before washing them, after spending time outdoors.

Ticks are very small and hard to see. When found, take them off using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible without crushing it. Once you have removed a tick, wash your skin with soap and water and then disinfect your skin and your hands with rubbing alcohol or an iodine swab. Before disposing of the tick, call or check the website of your local health unit to get advice on how to identify the tick.

“As areas where ticks can be found continue to grow, so to do the risks of tick bites and tickborne diseases,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “By being vigilant, wearing appropriate clothing and doing routine tick checks, we can avoid tick bites and ensure our trips outside are safe and healthy, in the months ahead.”

If you have any health concerns after a tick bite, consult a health care provider as soon as possible. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics, and pharmacists have been able to prescribe medication to treat tick bites to prevent Lyme disease since January 1, 2023.

QUICK FACTS

■ To make it more convenient for people to connect to care closer to home, Ontario pharmacists are able to treat and prescribe medications for 19 ailments, including tick bites.

■ Infected blacklegged ticks can be found almost anywhere in the province. Since 2021, there have been almost 5,000 cases of Lyme disease, 17 cases of anaplasmosis, and 10 cases of babesiosis in Ontario.

■ While ticks are most active in spring and summer, they can be found during any time of the year when the temperature is above freezing (0°C).

■ Removing a tick is done the same way for humans and animals.

DEREK RUTTAN /POSTMEDIA NETWORK Increases in Lyme disease diagnoses in recent years have led the Ontario government to advise people this spring to take precautions to reduce the risk while still enjoying the outdoors.