Protect against ticks before going into nature areas
The easing of restrictions under the COVID-19 pandemic means many people are again getting out to enjoy the great outdoors.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada is urging people to take precautions on trails and in forests as reports of Lyme disease, which is carried by black-legged ticks, is on the rise across Canada.
These insects — also known as deer ticks — hide in the shade, in wooded areas and in long grasses, and can be carried from place to place by migratory birds, the conservancy said in a media release.
Mhairi Mcfarlane, director of science and stewardship with the Nature Conservancy of Canada in Ontario, says people shouldn’t be afraid of going outdoors and that spending time in nature is good for our physical and mental well-being.
At the same time, Mcfarlane recommends that people who live, work or visit these areas should take steps to minimize the risk of exposure to tick bites.
“Wear bug repellent containing permethrin, long sleeves, light-coloured clothing, tuck everything in (including your pants into your socks), stay in the middle of trails, take a bath or shower after a hike and always check your clothes and body for ticks after a hike because they can be as small as a poppyseed,” said Mcfarlane.
Kurt Clemens, public health inspector with Chatham-kent public health, said a tick’s mode of transportation is to brush off of vegetation onto passing animals and people to crawl on them to find a place to embed.
Since ticks don’t fly or jump, the taller vegetation provides an ideal opportunity from them to transfer onto potential hosts, he added.
Clemens said there have already been a lot of ticks reported to the health unit this year, but the numbers are out of the ordinary.
“We identify a lot of ticks in Chatham-kent every year,” he said. “We have a fairly robust tick population.”
Clemens said fortunately the vast majority are American dog ticks, which do not transmit Lyme disease, nor are they “a significant vector of any human diseases in this area.”
He said there is a Lyme-endemic area in Rondeau Provincial Park and the immediate surrounding area.
“So we do definitely see blacklegged ticks there and we have identified black-legged ticks from there this year,” said Clemens, adding a few have been brought in.
He added Chatham-kent public health’s education campaign has helped people in the Rondeau area become familiar with black-legged ticks.
However, it is possible to encounter black-legged ticks outside the Rondeau area, so people are encouraged to bring in ticks to have them identified, Clemens said.
He added it is also advised people talk to their physician if they have a tick exposure history.
Lyme disease is treatable with antibiotics, and early treatment almost always results in full recovery.