Ticks carry four diseases, Ontario Public Health learns

Farmers Forum staff

OTTAWA — Ontario’s black-legged blood-sucking ticks can transmit three other diseases besides the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, Public Health Ontario has warned.

Black-legged ticks can also carry diseases that usually cause flu-like symptoms: powassan virus (causing weakness and seizures and in severe cases, paralysis, coma or death), the bacteria that cause anaplasmosis (in severe cases respiratory and organ failure and death) and babesiosis (causing blood clots and organ failure in extreme cases).

Ontario saw 40 confirmed and probable anaplasmosis cases last year, 30 of them specific to Eastern Ontario. There were no cases of powassan virus, which causes fever, headaches, vomiting and, in severe cases, swelling of the brain.

Ontario counted 1,490 Lyme disease cases in 2022, the most recent year for which numbers are available. Lyme disease can be extremely serious — if untreated — and can attack the heart and nervous system.
While most tick bites are harmless, Ontario health units suggest a number of precautions to reduce the risk of being bitten.

Dress in light coloured clothing, which makes adult ticks and nymphs (small stage of the tick) easier to see when they are on you (because of their darker colour)

• Remember to do a tick check when returning indoors

• Thoroughly check your body for ticks and nymphs and promptly remove and dispose of them. If possible, have someone check you from behind.

• Take a quick shower to help remove any unattached ticks.

• Ticks on clothing can be killed by putting clothes in a hot dryer for several minutes.

Ticks become active as daytime temperatures rise above 4°C.