The Halton Region is reminding residents to be on the alert for ticks.
Black-legged ticks can lead to Lyme Disease if infected.
The Public Health Inspector with the Region’s Health Department, Kalvin Bonnell, runs through some possible symptoms.
Bonnell adds that you may even feel flu-like symptoms, confusion, and even arthritic symptoms.
He says you should contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these kinds of symptoms.
Bonnell tells you what to do if you find a tick on you, your child or your pet.
Bonnell adds that you can use fine tip tweezers to remove the tick.
He says the longer a tick is attached to your skin, the higher your risk of Lyme Disease becomes. If it’s attached to your skin for less than 24-hours, Bonnell says your chance of getting Lyme Disease is very low.
Lyme Disease is not a permanent condition, but it does have the possibility of a long recovery time.
Here are some tips on how to watch out for ticks when outdoors.
Right now, due to COVID-19, the submit-a-tick program is closed until further notice. If you are concerned, you can call the Region of Halton at 3-1-1. Bonnell says that if you have a tick that you found and you’d like to get it identified, keep it in a sealed container. You can then click here for a quick online tick identification resource. If you’d still prefer to have the tick examined by the Region, Bonnell adds that you can place the tick in the fridge and store it for when the submit-a-tick program is running again; however, the program is used only for surveillance purposes. If you are concerned about Lyme Disease, contact your doctor.
Some areas within the Halton Region run a higher risk of being tick-infested. Bonnell says that if you’d like to track the severity of ticks in certain areas, click here. It’s a list of reported ticks found across the region. The risk for Lyme Disease remains low, but Bonnell urges residents to be on the alert for ticks, as it only takes one (if infected) to contract the disease.
