WHAT IS LYME DISEASE?

Lyme disease is spread by the bites of blacklegged ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi — although ticks can spread other infections, too. The ticks range from pinhead-sized for immature nymphs to 3 to 5 mm for an adult and balloon in size after a blood meal. Ontario’s first infected tick was found on a dog in Kenora in 1993 and experts blame their expanding range on a warming climate, changing land use such as farm land reverting to woodland and suburban development, and the changing range of tick hosts including the white-footed mouse and white-tailed deer. Ticks can also be transported long distances by migratory birds.

PROTECT YOURSELF OUTDOORS

Ticks can be found almost anywhere but are most often found in tall grasses and wooded and forested areas: Wear a Health Canada-approved mosquito repellent containing DEET or icaridin on exposed skin and clothing; wear long pants tucked into socks and long sleeves and light colours to make the dark ticks easier to spot; stay on trails when hiking in the woods or walking in areas of long grass; do a full body check — especially toes, knees, groin, armpits and scalp — and check pets, too; keep ticks away from home by keeping grass mowed, removing brush and fallen leaves, cleaning up areas under bird feeders to ward off small mammals that can carry ticks and keep woodpiles dry and away from the house.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU FIND A TICK ON YOURSELF?

Remove it as quickly as possible — the risk of Lyme disease increases with the length of time it’s attached; do use tweezers or a “tick key” to grasp the tick’s head as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly without twisting until it comes out; don’t burn the tick with a match or put lotion or anything else on it; see a doctor if you’re unsure of how long the tick has been attached or if it’s been more than 24 hours; treatment with antibiotics should be considered when the tick has been attached for 24 hours or more or is fully or partially engorged with blood and it’s been 72 hours or less since it was removed, Ottawa Public Health says; watch for symptoms for 30 days and see a doctor if they develop; have the tick tested by calling 311 or contacting Ottawa Public Health.

WHAT DOES LYME LOOK LIKE?

Symptoms, which usually begin within one to three days, include a circular, red rash (which often but not always looks like a bull’s-eye), tiredness, fever or chills, headache, muscle and joint aches, swollen lymph nodes, numbness or tingling and spasms or weakness.