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Durham Region Health Department works to prevent and reduce the spread of tick-borne diseases in humans through tick surveillance, public health promotion and the investigation of human cases.
Tick-borne disease incidence is rising in Durham Region as tick populations are now established throughout the Region. Climate change, resulting in longer seasons of warm weather, is increasing the number of blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) in our environment. Blacklegged ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. Tick-borne diseases cannot spread from person to person.
If you have any symptoms of a tick-borne disease or find a tick crawling or feeding on you or a family member, contact your health care provider immediately for advice about treatment.
If you are interested in having a tick identified, eTick.ca is a free online service that uses photographs of ticks for identification by a professional.
Wear light coloured clothing so that ticks are easier to spot.
Apply an insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin and follow the application instructions on the product label.
After spending time outdoors in wooded or brushy areas:
remove outdoor clothing as soon as you come indoors and put the clothes immediately into a hot dryer, for at least 15 minutes, prior to washing them,
shower within one to two hours to remove ticks before they can attach to the skin and check your full body, including your children and pets for ticks.
If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible.
Do not squeeze, try to burn it off, or spray it with insect repellent.
Grab the tick as close to skin as possible.
Pull the tick away from skin gently, but firmly.
Place the tick into a tightly closed container.
Contact your health care provider for diagnostic options and possible treatment if you’ve been exposed to a tick.
Blacklegged ticks
Blacklegged ticks are usually found in or near wooded or forested areas, in leaf litter, or on bushes and tall grass.
Ticks need blood to survive and they can become infected when they feed on infected wild animals such as birds, rodents or deer. Only then can they spread the infection to humans or pets.
Blacklegged ticks are very small. Immature ticks can be the size of a poppy seed and adults the size of a sesame seed.
They often attach to areas of the body where they are hard to see, such as the groin, armpit and scalp.
Ticks cannot fly or jump. Instead, they climb onto grasses or bushes and wait for a host (person or animal) to brush by. A tick will quickly attach and then find a suitable place to bite.
Tick-borne diseases of public health significance
Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis is a bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Symptoms of anaplasmosis typically begin to show within seven and 21 days from a bite of an infected blacklegged tick.
Contact your health care professional right away if you have been somewhere that ticks might live and experience any of the following symptoms:
fever
chills
severe headache
myalgia
abdominal pain
nausea
vomiting
diarrhea
loss of appetite
respiratory symptoms, central nervous system issues, and a rash are sometimes reported.
If untreated, anaplasmosis usually lasts between seven and 14 days, with persistent symptoms up to 60 days. In rare cases, if treatment is delayed or other medical conditions are present, anaplasmosis can lead to serious illness, including:
respiratory failure
bleeding problems
organ failure and death
Anaplasmosis diagnosis and treatment
Your health care provider may diagnose you with anaplasmosis depending on your signs, symptoms, history of possible exposure to infected ticks or travel to areas where blacklegged tick populations are established, and laboratory diagnostic testing.
Most cases of anaplasmosis can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a parasitic infection transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Symptoms of babesiosis typically begin to show within seven and 30 days from the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, and seven days and nine weeks after a contaminated blood transfusion.
Contact your health care professional right away if you may have been exposed to ticks and experience any of the following symptoms:
fever
chills
sweats
headache
body aches
loss of appetite
nausea
fatigue
Most infections are asymptomatic, however, since Babesia parasites infect and destroy red blood cells, babesiosis can cause a type of anemia called hemolytic anemia. Symptoms of hemolytic anemia include fatigue, jaundice and dark urine.
Babesiosis diagnosis and treatment
Your health care provider may diagnose you with babesiosis depending on your signs, symptoms, history of possible exposure to infected ticks or travel to areas where blacklegged tick populations are established and laboratory diagnostic testing.
Most cases of babesiosis can be successfully treated with antibiotics and/or antiparasitic drugs.
Lyme disease
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Symptoms of Lyme disease in humans usually appear between three and 30 days after a bite from an infected blacklegged tick.
You should contact your health care professional right away if you may have been exposed to ticks and experience any of the following symptoms:
rash
a bull’s-eye rash (a red patch on the skin that is usually round or oval and more than five centimetres that spreads outwards and is getting bigger
another type of unusual rash, a bruise-like rash, (usually on darker skin tones)
fever
chills
headache
stiff neck
muscle aches and joint pain
fatigue (more tired than usual)
swollen lymph nodes
spasms, numbness or tingling
facial paralysis
If not treated, Lyme disease can cause more severe symptoms which can last years and include:
damage to your heart, nerves, liver and joints,
recurring arthritis and,
neurological problems,
numbness,
paralysis and, in very rare cases,
death.
Lyme disease diagnosis and treatment
Your health care provider may diagnose you with Lyme disease depending on your signs, symptoms and risk factors. Laboratory testing is not always required to diagnose and treat Lyme disease infection.
Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics.
Powassan virus
Powassan virus disease is a rare infection transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, or less commonly the groundhog tick or squirrel tick. Symptoms of Powassan virus typically begin to show within seven and 30 days from a bite of an infected blacklegged tick.
Contact your health care professional right away if you may have been exposed to ticks and experience any of the following symptoms:
fever (there may be a transient period of remission following the acute fever phase, followed by worsening neurological deterioration)
headache
nausea
vomiting
asthenia
myalgia
Most infections are asymptomatic. However, a person may develop symptoms of severe disease, which includes:
confusion
loss of coordination
difficulty speaking
paralysis
seizures or coma
Approximately 50 per cent of people who survive severe disease have long-term health problems, such as:
recurring headaches
loss of muscle mass and strength
memory problems
Powassan virus diagnosis and treatment
Your health care provider may diagnose you with Powassan virus depending on your signs, symptoms, history of possible exposure to infected ticks or travel to areas where blacklegged tick populations are established and laboratory diagnostic testing.
There is currently no known treatment for Powassan virus.
How to remove a tick