South Grey News | Tick Risk Area Identified

Grey Bruce Public Health encourages residents and visitors to take steps to prevent tick bites while outdoors, especially in areas where ticks commonly live, such as in or near wooded or brushy areas, tall grass or leaf piles.

This annual reminder, which follows the return of warmer weather in Grey-Bruce, coincides with the release of Public Health Ontario's 2024 Ontario Blacklegged Tick Risk Area Map, formerly the Ontario Lyme Disease Map: Estimated Risk Areas.

The updated map includes a new “estimated risk area” in Grey-Bruce, a location where blacklegged ticks, which can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease to humans, have been identified or are known to be present and where people may encounter them. The new “estimated risk area” in central Grey-Bruce brings the total number of such risk areas in the two counties to four.

“It is important to note that these are only estimated risk areas and that infective blacklegged ticks can be found virtually anywhere in Ontario, especially if the habitat is ideal for these poppy seed-sized arachnids. That is why people need to take precautions to avoid tick bites when enjoying the outdoors. Preventing tick bites is the best way to prevent Lyme disease,” says Andrew Barton, Senior Director of Public Health at GBPH.

Lyme disease, a relatively rare vector-borne disease in Canada, is caused by the bacteria B. burgdoferi, which blacklegged ticks can carry. People can get Lyme disease if an infectious blacklegged tick bites and feeds on their body long enough to transmit the bacteria. In most cases, this takes at least 24 hours.

Not all blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria, and not everyone bitten by an infective tick will develop signs and symptoms of Lyme disease.

In 2022, there were 1,490 cases of Lyme disease in Ontario, representing a rate of 9.9 cases per 100,000 people.

The updated map of estimated risk areas for blacklegged ticks in Ontario helps public health units conduct Lyme disease case investigations and provides primary care providers with valuable information when considering potential exposures to blacklegged tick bites.

Estimated risk areas are calculated based on a 20 kilometre radius from the centre of a location where blacklegged ticks have been found by drag sampling. The new estimated risk area in Grey-Bruce was established in response to GBPH’s 2023 tick surveillance results.

The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to avoid tick bites by:

• Use an insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin;
• Wear light-colored clothing;
• Tuck your shirt into your pants, your pants into your socks and wear closed shoes;
• Walk on cleared paths;
• Use a sticky brush to remove ticks from clothing before getting in the car;
• Take a shower or bath soon after being outside; and
• Check your entire body, children, equipment and pets for ticks.

If you get bitten by a tick, remove it immediately. Information on how to remove and identify a tick can be found on Health Canada's Lyme disease webpage.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease may include fever, headache, muscle/joint pain, fatigue, and a bull’s-eye rash. Residents should consult a healthcare professional if they experience these symptoms.

If caught early, Lyme disease can be effectively treated with antibiotics. Information on eligibility for post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent Lyme disease is available here. GBPH follows up with all residents diagnosed with Lyme disease.

At South Grey News, we strive to bring you up-to-date, truthful, factual local news in a fast, easy-to-understand format, without political bias. We believe this service is more important now than ever, as social media has given rise to misinformation, largely unchecked by big business that puts profits before responsibility.

South Grey News does not have the resources of a large corporation. We are a small, locally owned and operated organization. Research, analysis and physical attendance at public meetings and community events take considerable effort. But contributions from readers and advertisers, however large, go a long way in helping us provide positive, open and honest journalism to this community.

Please support South Grey News by making a donation in lieu of a subscription and let us know our efforts are appreciated. Thank you.