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everything you need to know about staying safe from ticks and lyme disease
6 minute read
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with the warm weather comes camping, long hikes and some well-deserved time out in nature. but we’re not the only ones who favour hot summer temperatures — so do ticks and other potentially disease-carrying critters. do you know what you need to do to stay safe?
lyme disease is becoming increasingly prevalent in canada, due in large part to climate change making more areas of the country habitable by ticks. according to canadian surveillance data, there were 3,147 cases of lyme reported in 2021, up from 992 cases in 2016. and while case counts have fluctuated, all years since 2017 have stayed well above 1,000 cases. lyme exposure has also been reported as far north as bellsite, manitoba.
‘ticks have more time to have a tick romance’
and the prevalence of ticks is only expected to increase in the coming years.
“as the winters are getting milder and shorter, ticks are surviving better, and they have more time to feed and have a tick romance,” vett lloyd, of the lloyd tick lab at mount allison university in new brunswick, previously explained to healthing. “once a female tick finds a male and food, she can produce roughly 3,000 eggs. when this starts happening, (the population) explodes very quickly.”
while there are roughly 40 species of ticks in canada, only two are at risk of carrying lyme disease: the western black-legged tick, found in british columbia, and the black-legged tick, found throughout canada. while not every black-legged tick will contain lyme disease, the rate of ticks found to be carrying the bacteria can surpass 40 per cent in some areas of the country.
ticks are tiny, with unfed adults ranging from the size of an apple seed to the eraser on the back of a pencil. at first glance, they may just look like little black seeds on clothing or your furry friend.
protecting yourself from tick bites is the first defence against lyme
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ticks can be active whenever the temperature is above freezing, meaning spring, summer and fall — but could potentially also include mild winters. they’re usually found in wooded areas, but may also settle down in piles of wood, under fallen leaves, shrubs and grass.
so, if it’s a nice day and you’ve decided to hit a trail, it’s a good idea to assume you’re at risk of coming into contact with a tick, explains michael heimbach, vice president of business development for abell pest control.
he recommends always wearing long pants and close-toed shoes when out on a nature walk, and tucking your pants into your socks (this has the added benefit of protecting against other not-so-nice experiences like contacting fleas or poison ivy).
typically for lyme-causing bacteria to transfer to a person or pet, the tick has to be attached for at least 24 hours. however, this may not be as far-fetched as you think, considering many people may not even feel a bite from the pint-sized creature. for this reason, it’s important to check for ticks after some time in the great outdoors. while ticks can burrow anywhere (don’t forget the back of the legs!), they particularly like warm, dark areas — like the groin and armpit.
don’t pull on a tick
if you do notice something that looks like a tick on your skin, it’s important to not swat or pull at it. this is because the pressure may cause the body detach from the head, making proper removal that much more difficult.
instead, take a pair of tweezers (pointed is preferred) and grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. then, slowly and firmly pull directly upwards without twisting or jerking. wash the bite with soap and water, or wipe it with an alcohol-based sanitizer.
immediately put the tick in a bag or jar and note the date, location and where on your body you were bitten. if you choose to visit a health-care provider, this information will be helpful to determine the risk of being exposed to the bacteria that causes lyme.
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also, ignore popular internet hacks that recommend painting the tick with nail polish, or pouring nail polish remover/essential oils/alcohol on the tick in the hopes of encouraging it to detach on its own. this isn’t an effective way of removing them, according to the cdc, and the longer a tick stays on the body the greater the exposure risk to bacteria.
diagnosing lyme disease
lyme disease is caused by the bacteria borrelia burgdorferi, which is spread to ticks when they feed on an infected host, typically rodents. this bacteria can then be passed on to the host of its next meal, including humans.
the telltale sign of lyme disease is a rash, erythema migrans, spreading from the tick bite like a bull’s-eye, according to the public health agency of canada. the rash typically won’t appear right away — usually taking an average of seven days, but possibly as long as 30 days, to develop.
symptoms like constant fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, fever, chills, or swollen lymph nodes may also be an indication that you’ve come into contact with lyme-causing bacteria. however, not everyone will experience these initial signs, and a rash may not be noticeable on darker skin or in more hard-to-see areas of the body.
over time, if left untreated, lyme disease can appear as severe stiffness in the neck, according to the cdc. swelling and pain may also occur in the joints, bones, tendons or muscles, as well as facial drooping (palsy), heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, and/or numbness in the hands and feet.
lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, travel history and, in some cases, a blood test. ticks can be sent to be tested for lyme disease, however, the presence of borrelia burgdorferi in a tick does not necessarily mean you have lyme disease.
it’s not uncommon for lyme disease to be initially misdiagnosed as depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia or arthritis. and because it’s not always obvious when a tick bite has occurred, it’s important to tell a doctor if you have recently been to an area where you may have come into contact with a black-legged tick.
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the majority of patients with lyme disease will make a full recovery after taking antibiotics, although there have been reported instances of post-lyme disease syndrome — defined as continuing to experience fatigue, musculoskeletal pain and cognitive difficulties — six months after completing treatment.
pets also at risk of developing lyme disease
pets are also at risk of developing lyme disease after a tick bite and can contract the condition in any area where humans are at risk.
signs of lyme disease in pets include loss of appetite, and recurring pain in one or more of their limbs, which could present as limping or a resistance to putting weight on the affected limb. dogs may also stop eating, become lethargic, or develop a fever, symptoms that can start as late as five months after exposure to lyme-causing bacteria.
lyme disease can be fatal in dogs, so it’s important to get them tested when they start showing symptoms. the standard first test, a blood antibody test, may not always be sensitive enough to diagnose lyme disease in pets, so multiple tests may be needed. pets are also treated with a round of antibiotics.
dogs can’t transfer lyme disease or the borrelia burgdorferi bacteria to their humans, so it’s safe to care for your buddy during treatment.
emma jones is a multimedia editor with healthing. you can reach her at emjones@postmedia.com or on instagram and twitter @jonesyjourn.
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