Public Health Sudbury & Districts reports human case of Lyme disease
Public Health Sudbury & Districts is reporting that an adult from the Manitoulin district has tested positive for Lyme disease.
While the risk of getting the disease is low, the positive test acts as a reminder to take precautions when heading outside, the health unit said in a news release.
“People enjoying the outdoors need to check for ticks immediately after activities like gardening or hiking," Adam Ranger, an environmental support officer with Public Health, said in the release.
"This is one of the simplest ways you can protect yourself from Lyme disease.”
Blacklegged ticks infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease have been found in the Sudbury and Manitoulin districts in past years, however, they are commonly found in rural areas along the north shores of Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Superior, and the St. Lawrence River, as well as in the Rainy River area of northwestern Ontario.
"Blacklegged ticks do not jump or fly," the release said. "They wait on grass and bushes for animals or humans to brush against the vegetation. Ticks vary in size and colour and can be hard to see until they are full of blood."
Avoiding a tick bite in the first place is best. To prevent tick bites, Public Health recommends:
- Avoid walking in tall grass.
- Make sure yards are kept clear of debris and overgrown vegetation, grass, bushes, and trees.
- Keep wood piles and bird feeders away from homes.
- Wear a long-sleeved, light-coloured shirt, pants, and closed-toe shoes.
- Use insect repellents that are approved by Health Canada and follow the application recommendations on the package.
- Do a tick check.
- Take a shower after outdoor activities to help wash off ticks that have not yet attached themselves to the skin.
If you find a tick attached to a human, use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick close to the skin and gently pull straight up. Then wash the area with soap and water.
"Put the tick in a dry container and bring it to your local public health unit to be sent for identification and testing for Lyme disease," the health unit said.
"Follow up with your health care provider to determine if you need treatment, especially if the tick has been attached for more than 24 hours. Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics."
If left untreated, Lyme disease can cause serious complications to the heart, joints, and nervous system.
Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease include a characteristic rash around the area of the bite that looks like a red bull’s eye. Fever, headache, muscle and joint pain is also common, as is fatigue, stiff neck and swollen glands.
For more information on Lyme disease and ticks, call Public Health Sudbury & Districts at 705-522-9200, ext. 464, toll-free 1-866-522-9200 or visit www.phsd.ca.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.