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Photo Submitted by Gray Bruce Health Office at Blackburn News
By Steve SabourinJuly 26, 2019 13h41
A blacklegged tick taken from Saugeen Shores was tested positive for the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease.
Lyme disease is spread by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Ticks are most commonly found in forests, woodlands, shrubs, tall grbad and leafy heaps. The longer the tick is attached, especially more than 24 hours, the higher the risk of Lyme disease.
In 2019, there were three confirmed cases of Lyme disease in humans in Gray and Bruce counties, one of which was contracted locally.
The best way to prevent Lyme disease is to avoid being stung by a tick. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends the following tips when heading to areas where ticks can be detected:
· Use insecticide against DEET or icaridin (always follow instructions).
· Wear closed shoes, long sleeves and pants
· Tuck your shirt in your pants and pants in your socks
· Walking on trails
· Check your body, children, pets and equipment daily.
· To shower or bathe within two hours of leaving
· Put your clothes in a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes
If you find a tick on yourself or a member of your family, remove it immediately with a thin-tweezers. Ticks may be submitted to health care providers or the Gray Bruce Health Unit for identification and those identified as blacklegged will be tested.
The health office encourages people who are bitten by a tick and want to talk to a doctor about their health. If it is detected early, Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics.
Symptoms can occur 3 to 30 days after the bite: rash (sometimes bull-shaped at the site of a recent tick bite), fever, chills, headache, fatigue and muscle aches. If left untreated, several weeks or months after the bite, more severe symptoms may develop, such as severe headache, facial paralysis, joint pain, and nervous system disorders (dizziness, confusion, nerve pain , etc.).
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