In Ontario, the blacklegged tick is the only type of tick that can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease.
Tick populations are expanding in Canada. Blacklegged ticks have been found in Toronto, and are established here. All of Toronto is considered an Estimated Risk Area according to Public Health Ontario’s (PHO): Ontario Lyme Disease Map 2022. Estimated risk areas are locations where blacklegged ticks have been identified or are known to occur and where humans have the potential to come into contact with infective ticks.
The risk of contracting Lyme disease in Toronto, is considered to be low but has been increasing. The risk of Lyme disease can be decreased by preventing tick bites, early detection and removal of ticks
The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) provides information on the prevention and risks of Lyme disease. The 2021 Lyme disease surveillance infographic provides a summary of Lyme disease cases reported in 2021 across Canada.
Early detection and removal of ticks is important in the prevention of Lyme disease.
To get Lyme disease, a person must be bitten by a blacklegged tick that is infected with the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria. The risk of human infection increases with the time a tick is attached to a person and usually requires the tick to be attached for 24 hours or more.
If the tick was attached for 24 hours or more, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to prevent Lyme disease. The antibiotic must be taken within 72 hours from the time that the tick was removed. When participating in outdoor activities in wooded or brushy areas, you can take the following precautions to avoid tick bites. For known Lyme disease risk areas refer to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The risk of acquiring Lyme disease in Toronto overall is believed to be low. However, the risk for exposure is highest in wooded, brushy areas where blacklegged tick populations are established. Personal protective measures should be taken when visiting these areas. Ticks are found in wooded or bushy areas with lots of leaves on the ground or where there are tall grasses. Blacklegged ticks are not usually found on lawns, mowed grass, sports fields or paved areas.
Ticks cannot fly or jump. Instead they wait for a host (person, animal or bird), resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs. If a person brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard. It then finds a suitable place to bite. Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but, if found, may be in hard-to-see areas such as the armpits, groin and scalp.
Ticks are small, ranging in size from a poppy seed (less than 2 mm) to a pea (5 mm). The size of the tick varies depending on its life stage (larva, nymph, adult) and whether it has fed recently. The nymphal stage typically occurs during the summer months and is the stage most responsible for human infections. This is due to their very small size (less than 2 mm) which prevents people form noticing them on their body. Adult ticks can also transmit Lyme disease bacteria, but they are larger (5 mm) and therefore more likely to be discovered and removed before they have had time to transmit the bacteria.
If you find a tick on your body, it can be removed with fine-tipped tweezers.
Grab the tick as close to your skin as possible. Pull the tick away from your skin gently but firmly. If tweezers are not available, ticks can be removed using fingers, being careful not to crush the tick.
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick.
A new electronic tick identification platform is now available in Ontario, where anyone who finds a tick can submit a photo of the tick and receive species identification results within 48 hours. This free publicly available tick identification platform can be used for ticks found on a person, pet or in the environment.
Lyme disease can be treated effectively if symptoms are recognized early. Early treatment of symptoms can prevent complications that may occur if the infection is diagnosed later. Symptoms usually begin 3 days to 4 weeks after a bite, and include:
When the rash does not look like a bull’s eye rash or there is no rash, it can be difficult to diagnose Lyme disease as the other symptoms are the same as many other illnesses.
Untreated Lyme disease can affect the central nervous system, brain, joints or heart. Symptoms may include one or more of migraines, weakness, drooping of one side of the face, difficulty closing one eye, multiple skin rashes, painful swollen joints (usually large joints such as the knees), and extreme fatigue
Contact your doctor promptly if you develop symptoms of Lyme disease. If your doctor diagnoses Lyme disease, there are effective antibiotics available for treatment.
Ticks are found in wooded or brushy areas with lots of leaves on the ground or where there are tall grasses. Blacklegged ticks are not usually found on lawns, mowed grass, sports fields or paved areas.
Ticks are small, ranging in size from a poppy seed (less than 2 mm) to a pea (5 mm). The size of the tick varies depending on its life stage (larva, nymph, adult) and whether it has fed recently.
The nymphal stage typically occurs during the summer months and is the stage most responsible for human infections. This is due to their very small size (less than 2 mm) which prevents people form noticing them on their body. Adult ticks can also transmit Lyme disease bacteria, but they are larger (5 mm) and therefore more likely to be discovered and removed before they have had time to transmit the bacteria.
Ticks cannot fly or jump. Instead they wait for a host (person, animal or bird), resting on the tips of grasses and shrubs. If a person brushes the spot where a tick is waiting, it quickly climbs aboard. It then finds a suitable place to bite. Ticks can attach to any part of the human body but, if found, may be in hard-to-see areas such as the armpits, groin and scalp.
Toronto’s active tick surveillance program drags those sites that were newly established in 2019 or where blacklegged ticks have been found in previous years, monitors the number of blacklegged ticks in the surveillance location, and the number of them that carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.
The risk of acquiring Lyme disease in Toronto overall is believed to be low. However, the risk for exposure is highest in wooded, brushy areas where blacklegged tick populations are established. Personal protective measures should be taken when visiting these areas.