There are many health benefits from being active and enjoying the outdoors; however, if you are in outdoor areas suitable for ticks, for example, wooded areas or areas with tall grasses, you need to be aware of the risk of Lyme disease. To help prevent Lyme disease, Ottawa Public Health monitors ticks and human illness trends and increases awareness of Ottawa residents of the risks posed by ticks and educates on how to prevent Lyme disease. Preventing tick bites is key to the prevention of Lyme disease, you can do this by:
- Applying an approved insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin
- Doing a tick check on yourself, your children, and pets
- Checking your pet daily for ticks, especially if it spends time in wooded or overgrown areas
- Removing ticks as soon as possible. If you find a tick on your body, using fine-pointed tweezers, grasp the tick's head as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly until the tick is removed. Do not twist or rotate the tick. Do not use a match, lotion or anything else on the tick.
What is Lyme disease? |
Lyme disease is an important health concern in many parts of Canada and is spread by the bite of blacklegged ticks infected with the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. Most people are infected with Lyme disease through the bite of an immature tick called a nymph. Nymphs are tiny (less than two mm, about the size of a poppy seed) and difficult to see. Nymphs feed during the spring and summer months. Adult ticks are much larger and are more likely to be discovered and removed before they have had time to transmit the bacteria. Adult blacklegged ticks are most active during spring and again in late summer and fall. The blacklegged tick that carries the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease is present in the Ottawa area, across Eastern Ontario, and the Outaouais region of Quebec. Ottawa Public Health has seen an increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease reported in the Ottawa area over time, as well as an increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease likely acquired in the Ottawa area. This is most likely a result of growing Lyme disease awareness and increase in tick populations in Eastern Ontario. Ottawa Public Health is committed to reducing the health risks to residents posed by Lyme disease through prevention, education and awareness, as well as surveillance. Preventing tick bites is key to the prevention of Lyme disease. |
Prevention |
Populations of blacklegged ticks are growing and expanding into new areas as the climate warms. This means that the risk of contracting Lyme disease is on the rise across Canada. Though blacklegged ticks can be found almost anywhere outdoors, they are most often found in habitats that maintain ground-level moisture and humidity such as in tall grasses, and bushy/shrubby, wooded and forested areas. Ottawa Public Health recommends practicing these simple steps to help minimize exposure to blacklegged ticks, and help you enjoy the outdoors safely:
Blacklegged ticks are very small and not easy to see, nymphs are the size of poppy seeds and adults are the size of sesame seeds, which is why you should perform a full body check on yourself, your children and your pets after being outdoors. The sooner ticks are removed from the body the less likely they are to spread Lyme disease. |
How can I reduce the number of blacklegged ticks around my home? |
You can't guarantee to be rid of ticks completely, but you can reduce the risk of ticks in your yard. Here are some tips to help make your environment less favourable to ticks by:
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What if I find a tick? |
If you find a tick on your body, remove it as soon as possible. The risk of getting Lyme disease increases with the length of time the tick remains attached.
Since Ottawa is considered an at-risk area for Lyme disease, it is important to contact your doctor or health care provider if you believe a tick has been attached to you for 24 or more hours, or if you are unsure how long the tick has been attached to you, so that your doctor or health care provider can determine if you need treatment with antibiotics. Treatment with antibiotics would be considered when:
Your doctor or health care provider will advise you about what should be done straight away. Immediate actions include watching for symptoms of Lyme disease for the next 32 days and, if appropriate, taking a single dose of antibiotics prophylactically. If the tick was attached for less than 24 hours and its body does not appear swollen from feeding or if you removed a tick and more than 72 hours have passed, you should still be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of Lyme disease for the next 32 days. If you do develop symptoms, consult your doctor or health care provider. As of January 11, 2023, your local pharmacist can treat and prescribe medications for tick exposures. Visit the Government of Ontario News Release webpage. |
Removing Ticks |
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Signs and Symptoms |
Early and accurate diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease is key to avoid more serious illness and the potential for long-term complications. Long-term complications can involve muscle and joint pain, irregular heartbeat, and nervous system disorders (involving the brain, nerves and spinal cord).
Symptoms usually begin within 3 to 32 days after being bitten by an infected tick. Symptoms can include:
If you develop symptoms of Lyme disease, consult your doctor or health care provider. |
Steps to reduce your pet's exposure to ticks |
If your pet spends lots of time outdoors, a tick check should be part of your daily routine. While dogs and cats cannot directly transmit Lyme disease to people, a tick may enter your home on your pet's back and move on to bite a human.
To help reduce the chances of your pet carrying a tick that may transmit Lyme disease:
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Monitoring Lyme disease in Ottawa |
Ottawa Public Health staff regularly conducts tick dragging to monitor tick populations and to test for Lyme disease. Cases of Lyme disease in humans are reported to OPH and monitored. The number of cases of Lyme disease in humans reported in Ottawa has increased over time. |
Is there a Lyme disease vaccine? |
Unfortunately, a Lyme disease vaccine is not available in Canada. |
For more information:
- Pharmacists Now Treating Thirteen Common Ailments and Renewing Prescriptions for Most Medications | Ontario Newsroom
- Subscribe to the Public Heath Agency of Canada's Lyme and other tick-borne diseases email subscription list
- The Public Health Agency of Canada new educational videos
- Lyme Disease, information for health care providers
- Ottawa Public Health Lyme disease factsheet [pdf - 771 KB] also available in:
- Ontario Ministry of Health
- Ontario Lyme Disease Map 2021 - Estimated Risk Areas [pdf - 1 MB]
- Public Health Agency of Canada
- The Public Health Agency of Canada Lyme and other tick-borne diseases e-mail subscription list is an e-mail service that provides the public with a way to receive information about federal Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease projects and initiatives as well as opportunities for engagement, collaboration and involvement.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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