Every spring, social media seems to start showing pictures of newly discovered arachnids that appear to be ticks. Ticks have long been common in Ontario and Manitoba, but they appear to be moving west on migratory birds. With the ticks come questions about what they look like, where they live, and of course, the risk of Lyme disease.
Ticks tend to live in grasslands, shrubs and wooded areas (including field edges) and can be a problem when temperatures rise above 0 degrees. There are several common types of ticks, but the most dangerous to humans is the black-legged tick, or deer tick. Black-legged ticks can host the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.
An infected tick usually needs to stay on the host feeding on blood for 24 hours before transmitting the bacteria to the host. The tick injects a painkiller and anticoagulant into the host, allowing the bitten person to continue feeding on the tick without feeling the bite.
In this interview with Dr. Curtis Russell from Public Health Ontario (PHO), we discuss where ticks are found, what to do if you’re bitten, and how to avoid not realizing you have a tick on your body.
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