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
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