With temperatures well above freezing these days, the Health Unit is reminding us how to deal with ticks. Yes, tick season is here.
Leeds Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit Medical Officer of Health Dr. Linna Li says there’s a certain tick to watch out for, because they’re the most common in our region.
There are other diseases that ticks can carry too like Analplasmosis and Babesiosis.
Senior Public Health Inspector Andrew Dunn says to continue to enjoy the outdoors safely, we just need to prepare.
Taking the following precautions will help to reduce your risk of infection:
· Dress in light coloured clothing so you can see that a tick is on you (they are dark in colour).
· Use an insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin. You can apply this to clothing or your skin.
· Put your outdoor clothes in a hot dryer for several minutes to kill ticks.
· Wear clothing that contains a tick repellent
· Do a tick check when you return inside. If possible, have someone check you from behind. Check your pets for ticks as well.
· Thoroughly check your body for ticks and nymphs and promptly remove them using tweezers or a tick twister.
· You can take a quick shower and scrub well to help remove any unattached ticks.
· Speak to your vet about ways to protect your pet.
You can listen to the complete interview with Dr. Li and Andrew Dunn below.
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