By MPP Bobbi Ann Brady
One of the great privileges of living in our neck of the woods is enjoying the outdoors.
Whether it’s walking local trails, working on a farm, spending time at the cottage, or simply enjoying our own backyards, this community is surrounded by, I believe, the most beautiful natural spaces in Ontario.
As we savour everything nature has to offer, there is a big concern in a diminutive form we cannot afford to overlook, ticks.
They might be tiny, but the health risks associated with them can be anything but. Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses are becoming an increasing concern not only in Haldimand-Norfolk, but across Ontario and North America.
Recently, I had the opportunity to learn more about the growing tick population and the importance of awareness and prevention. When it comes to ticks, knowledge and quick action are vital. A tick carrying Lyme disease can transmit the illness after being attached for approximately three days. That means there is a window when identifying and properly removing a tick can make all the difference.
Three days may sound like plenty but anyone who has spent time outdoors knows how easily a tick can go undetected. Aside from being small, they hide well and can attach themselves without being immediately noticed.
If you find a tick, don’t panic but don’t ignore it. See guidance from a health care provider and take advantage of resources available to help identify what type of tick you have found. www.etick.ca is a great resource for the public to learn about tick identification, how to submit a tick for identification, and much more.
The website is a straightforward tool, which will ask for some basic information such as where and when the tick was found, and whether it was on an animal, person, or in the environment. Trained experts will review your submission and provide identification results, usually within one or two business days. And all eTick services are free of charge. Although, if they must examine a tick in their lab, the customer covers shipping costs.
This technology is useful because not all ticks carry the same risks. Knowing the species helps determine whether someone may have been exposed to a tick that can transmit illness such as Lyme disease. The Blacklegged tick, by the way, is the primary species associated with Lyme disease transmission in Ontario. Other species may carry different pathogens or pose different concerns.
Every submission to www.etick.ca helps paint a bigger picture of tick activity in Haldimand- Norfolk and across Canada. The information collected maps where ticks are being found and how populations are changing. For a rural region like ours where people work outdoors, farm, hike, hunt, fish, and spend time with animals, this information is invaluable.
Being proactive beats being reactive. As a first line of defense, make a habit of checking yourself, your children, and your pets after spending time outdoors; wear appropriate clothing; and be aware of areas where ticks are commonly found.
As we head into the cooler months, don’t be fooled into thinking ticks disappear with the summer heat, they aren’t insect snowbirds. Ticks remain active well into the fall and even on milder winter days. Stay vigilant.
Bobbi Ann Brady is the MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk