For many people, the Victoria Day weekend means enjoying the outdoors, whether it involves camping, hiking, or working in the yard. Since the start of 2017, the Middlesex-London Health Unit’s Vector-Borne Disease team has been scanning the region for the arrival of blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks). These bugs have the potential to carry Lyme Disease and have been on the Health Unit’s “Most Wanted” list for the last few years and there are indicators that they are present in the area.

The Health Unit is calling on anyone who is spending time outdoors this weekend to be vigilant and to check themselves, and friends or family members, for ticks.

“We’re starting to see increasing tick populations in our region. Our advice is to take a few minutes to check whether you or the people you’re with may have picked up a tick after you’ve been walking or hiking through the woods or areas of tall grass, or if you brushed up against vegetation,” says Jeremy Hogeveen, Vector-Borne Disease Coordinator with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “While we are most concerned with blacklegged ticks, the vast majority of ticks we’re finding, and that people submit to us, are dog ticks, which cannot transmit Lyme Disease.”

Ticks are very small, usually between one and five miIlimeters in length if unfed (they are larger when engorged after a blood meal), are closely related to spiders and are not able to jump or fly. They are known to feed on birds that summer in Ontario, which is why ticks can be found in areas of the province along migration routes.

The Health Unit recommends the following steps if you find a tick on your body or the body of a companion:

• Try to wear gloves when handling an engorged tick;
• Use tweezers to grab the tick as close to the head as possible, do not use fingers;
• Pull the tick upward and away with steady pressure, ensuring to pull it straight out;
• Once the tick has been removed, clean the area with soap and water;
• Wash hands thoroughly;
• and, seek medical attention if you are concerned about a possible skin infection.

While the best way to prevent Lyme Disease is to prevent tick bites, removing ticks within 24 to 36 hours after a bite usually prevents infections. If you find a tick on yourself or another person, you can submit it to the Health Unit at 50 King Street in London (Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.), or 51 Front Street East in Strathroy (Monday-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., except between noon and 1:00 p.m.), for identification and testing. For more information about ticks and Lyme Disease, visit: www.healthunit.com/lyme-disease.

Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit
519-663-5317 ext. 2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell)

Spokesperson:
Jeremy Hogeveen, Vector-Borne Disease Coordinator