Hamilton: Lyme

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   [I know I should have posted this in the "Select your State" forum, but I can't work out which Hamilton it refers to.  If you know, please feel free to move the post - or tell me where to stick it.]

Lyme disease carrying ticks have made a home in Hamilton
“Even people in urban Waterdown are finding 
ticks on them after just mowing the lawns,” says Flamborough 
veterinarian Jennifer Merry.

        Hamilton's public health department is working on a tick 
management strategy following most of the city's designation as 
"estimated Lyme disease risk area."
        Black-legged ticks — the kind that can carry the Lyme disease bacteria — have now established a home here.
        "They are going through their life-cycle in our area, rather 
than just being dropped off (by animals and birds)," says Connie 
DeBenedet, Hamilton's acting vector-borne diseases manager.
        Public health says the overall risk of human infection remains low, but is urging the public to learn more about ticks.
        A 20 kilometre Hamilton radius of all parts of the city 
except eastern parts of Stoney Creek and Glanbrook is now a Lyme risk 
area.
        For Lyme disease to be a human risk however, the tick must be
 of the black-legged kind, must have the Lyme disease bacteria, and feed
 on you for at least 24 hours, says DeBenedet. Not all blacklegged ticks
 carry Lyme disease.
        While DeBenedet says ticks are most commonly found in wooded 
and tall grass areas, Flamborough veterinarian Jennifer Merry, of 
Clappison Animal Hospital, says anecdotally that "even people in urban 
Waterdown are finding ticks on them after just mowing the lawns." 
        "It's surprising to us. We thought it would just be on people
 and dogs walking the Bruce (trail)," she said. "My husband was changing
 tires in our driveway and he got a tick ... The birds are moving them 
around."
        Merry says her clinic has seen a dramatic increase in ticks 
being brought in for identification and in people bringing in their dogs
 and asking staff to remove ticks from them.
        "We used to see one or two ticks a year, but about three years ago, the numbers started to go up."

        The clinic now sees four to five cases a week. 
        "The numbers are definitely skyrocketing. We get a lot of 
sandwich bags with ticks in them. We have a lot of black-legged ticks."
        Public health is working on a management plan it hopes to 
have ready in the fall, to lower the risk of residents contracting Lyme 
disease.
        "Unfortunately, ticks are very hard to control," says 
DeBenedet. "There are only two pesticides approved in Ontario. They are 
not very effective and the concern is they could affect pollinating 
insects. It's better to use an integrated pest management plan."
        DeBenedet said the plan includes keeping city grass manicured
 at frequently used parks and sports fields. With black legged ticks 
being very tiny — some are the size of a poppyseed — the good news is 
they die easily in sunny areas on a typical field, she said.
        "Ticks like to hide in tall grass and under leaf litter in cool and shady areas."
        DeBenedet advises people to keep themselves and pets on 
walking trails and avoid walking through heavily wooded areas where the 
risk is greater.
        Finding a tick on you or your dog can be quite frustrating, DeBenedet admits.
        "We find hundreds and hundreds of American dog ticks." They 
are a nuisance but do not spread disease. The problem is ticks are very 
small, so it has been hard to tell the American dog ticks from the 
black-legged deer ticks, she adds.
        The city has posted signs showing the difference between the two in busy city parks and walking trails, she said.
        In 2017, residents brought in 892 ticks — 78 of them were 
black-legged, and of those, seven tested positive for Lyme disease, she 
said.
        DeBenedet expects the numbers to grow slightly this year and afterwards, to continue to grow over time.
        Rosa da Silva, McMaster University assistant biology 
professor, says it is important for people to be aware that Lyme disease
 carrying ticks are here to stay — partly because climate change 
bringing warmer weather has caused them to spread.
        "But it's not a public health emergency. It's just a cautionary set of behaviours we need to take up as we enjoy the outdoors."

Tips:

         know where to expect ticks
         wear light coloured clothing to easily see them
         wear long sleeves, long pants in wooded areas
         use repellents with DEET
         do a skin check after being outdoors
         use tweezers to remove. Try not to crush it while pulling out with a forceful, swift pull 
         know the signs of Lyme disease. See a doctor 
        Sources: DeBenedet and da Silva

        cfragomeni@thespec.com
        905-526-3392 | @CarmatTheSpec
         cfragomeni@thespec.com 
        905-526-3392 | @CarmatTheSpec

My source:   https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8662682-lyme-disease-carrying-ticks-have-made-a-home-in-hamilton/

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Technophobe Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Assistant Admin Joined: January 16 2014 Location: Scotland Status: Offline Points: 88450	Post Options Post Reply Quote Technophobe Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Hamilton: Lyme Posted: June 11 2018 at 1:12pm
	[I know I should have posted this in the "Select your State" forum, but I can't work out which Hamilton it refers to. If you know, please feel free to move the post - or tell me where to stick it.] Lyme disease carrying ticks have made a home in Hamilton “Even people in urban Waterdown are finding ticks on them after just mowing the lawns,” says Flamborough veterinarian Jennifer Merry. Hamilton's public health department is working on a tick management strategy following most of the city's designation as "estimated Lyme disease risk area." Black-legged ticks — the kind that can carry the Lyme disease bacteria — have now established a home here. "They are going through their life-cycle in our area, rather than just being dropped off (by animals and birds)," says Connie DeBenedet, Hamilton's acting vector-borne diseases manager. Public health says the overall risk of human infection remains low, but is urging the public to learn more about ticks. A 20 kilometre Hamilton radius of all parts of the city except eastern parts of Stoney Creek and Glanbrook is now a Lyme risk area. For Lyme disease to be a human risk however, the tick must be of the black-legged kind, must have the Lyme disease bacteria, and feed on you for at least 24 hours, says DeBenedet. Not all blacklegged ticks carry Lyme disease. While DeBenedet says ticks are most commonly found in wooded and tall grass areas, Flamborough veterinarian Jennifer Merry, of Clappison Animal Hospital, says anecdotally that "even people in urban Waterdown are finding ticks on them after just mowing the lawns." "It's surprising to us. We thought it would just be on people and dogs walking the Bruce (trail)," she said. "My husband was changing tires in our driveway and he got a tick ... The birds are moving them around." Merry says her clinic has seen a dramatic increase in ticks being brought in for identification and in people bringing in their dogs and asking staff to remove ticks from them. "We used to see one or two ticks a year, but about three years ago, the numbers started to go up." The clinic now sees four to five cases a week. "The numbers are definitely skyrocketing. We get a lot of sandwich bags with ticks in them. We have a lot of black-legged ticks." Public health is working on a management plan it hopes to have ready in the fall, to lower the risk of residents contracting Lyme disease. "Unfortunately, ticks are very hard to control," says DeBenedet. "There are only two pesticides approved in Ontario. They are not very effective and the concern is they could affect pollinating insects. It's better to use an integrated pest management plan." DeBenedet said the plan includes keeping city grass manicured at frequently used parks and sports fields. With black legged ticks being very tiny — some are the size of a poppyseed — the good news is they die easily in sunny areas on a typical field, she said. "Ticks like to hide in tall grass and under leaf litter in cool and shady areas." DeBenedet advises people to keep themselves and pets on walking trails and avoid walking through heavily wooded areas where the risk is greater. Finding a tick on you or your dog can be quite frustrating, DeBenedet admits. "We find hundreds and hundreds of American dog ticks." They are a nuisance but do not spread disease. The problem is ticks are very small, so it has been hard to tell the American dog ticks from the black-legged deer ticks, she adds. The city has posted signs showing the difference between the two in busy city parks and walking trails, she said. In 2017, residents brought in 892 ticks — 78 of them were black-legged, and of those, seven tested positive for Lyme disease, she said. DeBenedet expects the numbers to grow slightly this year and afterwards, to continue to grow over time. Rosa da Silva, McMaster University assistant biology professor, says it is important for people to be aware that Lyme disease carrying ticks are here to stay — partly because climate change bringing warmer weather has caused them to spread. "But it's not a public health emergency. It's just a cautionary set of behaviours we need to take up as we enjoy the outdoors." Tips: know where to expect ticks wear light coloured clothing to easily see them wear long sleeves, long pants in wooded areas use repellents with DEET do a skin check after being outdoors use tweezers to remove. Try not to crush it while pulling out with a forceful, swift pull know the signs of Lyme disease. See a doctor Sources: DeBenedet and da Silva cfragomeni@thespec.com 905-526-3392 \| @CarmatTheSpec cfragomeni@thespec.com 905-526-3392 \| @CarmatTheSpec My source: https://www.thespec.com/news-story/8662682-lyme-disease-carrying-ticks-have-made-a-home-in-hamilton/
	How do you tell if a politician is lying? His lips or pen are moving.

Hamilton: Lyme

Lyme disease carrying ticks have made a home in Hamilton

“Even people in urban Waterdown are finding ticks on them after just mowing the lawns,” says Flamborough veterinarian Jennifer Merry.

Tips: