The Middlesex-London Health Unit reminds community members to protect themselves from ticks after a tick was identified with Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria this month – a first for the region.

Anaplasmosis is the disease caused by the Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacteria, which is usually spread by the blacklegged tick. Symptoms of anaplasmosis typically begin 1 – 2 weeks after the bite of an infected tick and include fever, chills, severe headache, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Risk factors for severe illness include being 65 years of age and older and a weakened immune system. It can be treated with antibiotics.

Therefore, it is important to protect yourself from ticks carrying bacteria by:

• Wearing light-coloured clothes to make it easier to spot ticks;
• Wearing long pants and long sleeves, closed-toe shoes, and tucking your pants into your socks when walking in grassy or wooded areas;
• Applying insect repellent / bug spray containing DEET or Icaridin to clothing and exposed skin;
• Checking yourself, family members, pets, and outdoor gear (e.g. backpacks) after leaving an area where ticks may live;
• Showering or bathing as soon as possible after returning home.
• Blacklegged ticks are also known to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and the parasite that causes babesiosis. Both have been found this year in local ticks.

If you find you have been bitten by a tick, visit our website for information on how to remove it safely and what steps to take next. You can submit a photo of the tick to etick.ca to identify the tick species.

Media Contact:
Morgan Lobzun, Communications Coordinator, Middlesex-London Health Unit
media@mlhu.on.ca

Spokesperson:
Dr. Joanne Kearon, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Middlesex-London Health Unit