Tick Season Returns to Canada With Fresh Warnings and Practical Safety Advice
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As warmer weather draws Canadians back outdoors, public health authorities are renewing warnings about ticks and the diseases they can carry, especially Lyme disease. The Public Health Agency of Canada says ticks are usually active from spring through fall, while recent surveillance reports point to expanding geographic spread and a longer season of activity.
The risk is not limited to deep woods. Officials say ticks are commonly found in and near places with trees, shrubs, tall grass, and leaf litter. In Ontario, public health data show most established risk areas remain concentrated in the south, especially near the north shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River, though suitable habitats elsewhere can still carry some risk.
Health guidance stresses prevention first: wear closed-toe shoes, tuck pants into socks, choose long light-coloured clothing, use insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin, stay on cleared paths, and check your body, clothes, gear, and pets as soon as you get home. If a tick is attached, remove it promptly with clean fine-point tweezers by pulling straight up without twisting or crushing it, then wash the area well. In most cases, an infected tick needs to stay attached for at least 24 hours to transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
Early symptoms can include an expanding rash, fever, chills, fatigue, headache, and muscle or joint pain. Canadians are advised to contact a health care provider if they cannot remove a tick, feel unwell after a bite, or develop symptoms later. Officials also say the removed tick can be stored in a sealed container or photographed for identification, including through the eTick platform.
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Tahani Elghazaly5374 Posts
