Special to the Sydenham Current
Protect yourself from Lyme disease. Right now black-legged ticks are only found in or around Rondeau Provincial Park however, there are other areas that have them in Ontario, especially along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.
– If you find a tick on you while walking or hiking in grassy or wooded areas, be sure to:
– Wear long sleeves with tight cuffs and long pants that are tucked into socks
– Wear closed-toed shoes
– Use insect repellent containing DEET and,
– Check yourself, your family and your pets for ticks
If you find a tick on yourself or your family—bring it into the health unit so we can identify it. We don’t send them away for testing anymore, so if the tick is the type that carries Lyme disease, you need to be treated by your doctor as soon as possible.
Make sure you remove the tick properly:
– Use fine tipped tweezers.
– Grasp the tick firmly and as close to your skin as possible.
– Pull the tick’s body away from your skin using an upward motion.
– Place the tick in a small sealed plastic container.
– Wash the bite site with warm water and soap.
– See a physician if you cannot properly remove a tick yourself or if you think you have been exposed to Lyme disease.
– Don’t smother the tick with products such as petroleum jelly or rubbing alcohol.
– Don’t burn the tick.
– Don’t squeeze the tick, as this could increase your chances of infection.
Symptoms of Lyme disease usually develop 1-2 weeks after a bite and can start as a bull’s-eye rash and then lead to fever, fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, and swollen glands. If left untreated, complications involving the heart, nervous system and joints may occur.
For more information on Lyme disease, please contact the Chatham-Kent Public Health Unit at 519-352-7270.
