Nobody
likes getting bitten by ticks, but the possibility of catching
an illness like Lyme disease is one more reason to take action
against these blood-sucking bugs. Lyme disease is caused by
a corkscrew-shaped bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi,
spread by the bite of ticks of the genus Ixodes, commonly
known as deer or black-legged ticks. These ticks are tiny —
about the size of a pinhead when immature, slightly bigger as
adults. They crawl onto their victims from grasses and shrubs
in wooded areas.
A characteristic sign of Lyme disease is a skin rash that starts
out as a small red patch and gradually expands, often clearing
in the centre to form a "bull’s-eye" pattern.
Symptoms include fatigue, chills and fever, headache, muscle
and joint pain, and swollen lymph nodes. Antibiotics are used
to treat the infection.
Most cases of Lyme disease are in the northeastern US, from
Massachusetts to Maryland, the north-central states, especially
Wisconsin and Minnesota, and the west coast, particularly northern
California. The disease is on the rise in the US, with upwards
of 12,000 cases every year, and has also turned up in Canada.
Since 1981, 280 cases have been reported in Ontario.
To avoid tick bites when hiking or camping in wooded areas:
- If possible, stay away from tick-infested areas, especially
in May, June and July.
- Stay in the middle of hiking trails and try not to brush
against grasses or leaves.
- Wear light-coloured clothes to make it easy to spot ticks
"hitching a ride" on you.
- Wear long pants with the legs tucked into your socks or
boots; as an extra precaution, put tape around the area where
pants and socks meet.
- Wear a hat and a long-sleeved shirt for extra protection.
- Spray your clothes and exposed skin (except your face) with
an insect repellent that contains DEET or treat clothes with
permethrin, which kills ticks on contact.
Once you’re indoors, inspect yourself carefully for ticks.
If one has already latched on to you, don’t panic. Even
if the tick is infected, it isn’t likely to pass it on
to you if it’s been feeding for less than two days. Just
grasp the tick’s body with tweezers and, slowly and steadily,
pull it straight out. It’s best to have tick bites examined
by a doctor, especially if you develop a rash or flu-like symptoms.
A vaccine against Lyme disease infection, called LYMErix, is
now available. Talk to your doctor to find out if it’s
right for you.
