Outdoor enthusiasts should beware of the company they may find while taking a walk to enjoy the return of warmer weather, warn local public health officials.
People are being advised to watch for Lyme-disease carrying ticks considered endemic to areas within the jurisdiction of the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit.
Joan Mays, supervisor of health protection for the health unit, said the presence of the disease-carrying ticks was confirmed by field studies last year along the shores of the St. Lawrence River and the St. Lawrence Islands National Park.
However, ticks found farther from the river that came in for testing indicate the problem isn't solely confined to the riverfront, said Mays.
"Last summer in partnership with veterinarians who were submitting ticks for analysis, we found it's not just in the national park area."
More ominously, after a five-year hiatus, there were stories of Lyme disease in the local population in 2006, she said.
Mays said the health unit is still assessing the situation with passive surveillance that includes analyzing ticks it receives from vets, landowners and hunters.
At this time of year, female ticks need a blood meal to lay their eggs and prefer moles and voles as the most likely hosts, but pets and humans outside for a walk will do the trick as well, she said.
Meanwhile, the tick nymphs are just as capable as the adult tick of latching on to animals and humans and transmitting the bacteria, she said.
Mays said the tick or nymph has 24 hours to transmit the bacteria and people should inspect their skin immediately when they go inside after a walk outdoors.
A quick glance may not be good enough especially for someone with freckles, she said.
"That's why we recommend light clothing because it's easier to see a black speck."
Long-sleeved shirts and pants tucked into the socks in long grass is also advised by the health unit.
Mays said the entire body should be inspected thoroughly for ticks. If one is found, it should be removed promptly using a pair of tweezers by gripping the head firmly and pulling it straight out gently.
The bite area should be treated with antiseptic and the tick kept in a jar.
The health unit should be contacted to determine if the tick is the type that carries Lyme disease and to test for the bacteria.
Lyme disease has been found in ticks elsewhere in Ontario along the north shore of Lake Erie, Long Point and Point Pelee. It is also endemic in New York State and along the eastern seaboard of the United States.
Early symptoms of the disease may include a red bull's-eye rash, fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, fatigue and a skin rash. Without treatment, Lyme disease may progress and affect the heart, nervous system and the joints.
For more information, contact the health unit at 345-5685, 1-800-660-5853 or on the Internet at www.healthunit.org.
Published in Section A, page
4 in the Wednesday, May 9, 2007 edition of the Brockville Recorder & Times.
Posted 4:30:45 PM Wednesday, May 9, 2007.
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