THUNDER BAY — Until now, the Thunder Bay District Health Unit has never encountered a case where so many blacklegged ticks were found on one animal at the same time.
That changed recently when a Kakabeka Falls-area resident removed seven of the arachnids from the family's dog.
"It's the most we've ever had in one go," said Ken Deacon, coordinator of the health unit's vector-borne disease program.
To date, local residents have submitted 11 blacklegged ticks this spring, compared with none at the same point last year.
It's a sign that ticks likely had a high survival rate over the winter, and that there will be an elevated risk of getting Lyme disease this year if precautions aren't taken.
Deacon said the first blacklegged tick was turned into the health unit in April, and that one has even been found latched onto a cat in the middle of the city.
"Things are not looking good for people who are concerned about Lyme disease," he said. "They seem to have over-wintered quite nicely. In the spring, I thought it would never get here, but obviously the ticks must have been wearing winter parkas or something because they were out really early."
In all of last year, 27 locally-acquired blacklegged ticks were turned into the health unit, of which about half tested positive for Lyme disease.
"They've obviously established here ... They will get knocked back if we ever get really severe winters again. But overall, it seems they are increasing in abundance, and we do know they are carrying Lyme disease and can transmit it. People just have to become adapted to the fact we now have ticks in the neighbourhood," Deacon said.
He repeated the advice he gives every year, which is to stay "eternally vigilant" and take the recommended precautions.
Health Canada provides the following guidelines for people entering a tick habitat:
- Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants to spot ticks easily
- Tuck your shirt into your pants, and your pants into your socks
- Wear closed-toe shoes
- Apply insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin to clothing and exposed skin
- Wear permethrin-treated clothing
Ontario's health ministry advises:
- checking yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks after being outdoors. Any ticks found should be removed promptly
- putting clothes on high heat in a dryer for at least 10 minutes before washing clothing after spending time outdoors
“We are seeing an increase in cases of Lyme and other diseases transmitted by ticks in line with other jurisdictions,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “Simple, precautionary measures can reduce the risk of getting bitten by a tick. This includes being vigilant in wooded or grassy areas, even in your backyard, and doing routine tick checks after enjoying the outdoors.”
Ticks are very small and hard to see.
When a tick is found, it should be removed immediately using fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible.
Once the tick has been removed, wash the area with soap and water and then disinfect the area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or an iodine swab.
If you have any health concerns after a tick bite, the ministry advises consultation with a health care provider as soon as possible.
Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
This year the Thunder Bay area has been added to the list of sentinel regions across the country where the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network supports active surveillance for blacklegged ticks.
In addition to the well-known local hotspot for ticks in the Rabbit Mountain area off Belrose Road, monitoring will be done at Hazelwood Lake, Cloud Lake, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and Upsala.
