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Council receives warning about Lyme Disease in the region

June 2, 2022   ·   0 Comments

If you go out to any wooded areas, including walking trails in the region, you should do a thorough check when you get home to look for evidence that you have picked up any tiny hitchhikers while out on your walk.

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit sent correspondence to the Town of New Tecumseth on May 25 warning that there is a risk of coming in contact with blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, in the region.

Blacklegged ticks are carriers of boreila burgdorfer – the bacteria responsible for Lyme Disease.

The SMDHU has staff that undertake surveillance activities in various community locations to understand the risk of encountering these ticks.

Tick checks involves dragging a cloth through the undergrowth in wooded areas to assess the establishment of blacklegged tick populations and associated Lyme Disease risk.

This occurs twice annually – in the spring and fall – as ticks are more active at this time.

In 2021, the surveillance sites included provincial parks including Beattie Pinery, Earl Rowe, and Six Mile Lake.

Criteria used to select the site locations include a review of historical tick submission data and bacterial testing results, consideration of local geography and presence of tick habitat.

SMDHU staff consulted with Ontario Parks staff and technical experts from Public Health Ontario.

If surveillance activities find ticks in both the spring and fall and if there is evidence of borrelia burdorferi in the tick population, SMDHU considers the tick population and Lyme disease risk to be established in the area.

Following the results of spring and fall dragging activities at Earl Rowe Provincial Park, the Park was identified as a risk area.

The estimated risk area includes a 20-kilometre radius from the location where the ticks were located.

The risk area includes the Town of New Tecumseth, Township of Adjala-Tosorontio, Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, Base Borden, Township of Clearview, Township of Essa, and the Town of Innisfil.

The estimated risk areas map is primarily intended to assist health care providers in clinical assessment of individuals presenting with potential Lyme disease.

You can reduce your risk of contracting Lyme disease.

Infected blacklegged ticks need to be attached for at least 24 hours in order to transmit the bacteria that causes the disease.

Ticks that spread the bacteria are either nymphs, about the size of a poppy seed, or adult females which are about the size of a sesame seed. You may not notice a tick bite because the ticks are tiny and the bites are usually painless.

The ticks can be present in wooded areas, but may also be present in parks, golf courses, or while doing activities like fishing, hunting, camping, and gardening.

When returning from an area where ticks may be present you should check your body thoroughly and look for a small dark spot on your skin.

If you spot a tick, you should remove in immediately to reduce the risk of infection.

You should also check your dogs if you have taken them with you on a hike.

By Brian Lockhart

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