The tick season is back. How to stay safe around these dangerous vampires – National

Canadians flock to the outdoors this spring for hiking, gardening and sunlight, with unwelcome guests coming back seasonally.

Thanks to warm winters and mild temperatures, mites are thriving in more places than ever before. There is an increased risk of tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease.

The black-footed mites, the species responsible for most Lyme disease cases in Canada, are rapidly expanding their range and are now found in parts of all southern provinces. This spread is closely linked to climate change, so mites survive the winter, migrating to areas that were once too cold, putting more people and pets at risk.

There are over 40 tick species in Canada, but the most common one is also known as deer ticks, black-legged ticks, which are increasing in numbers. These mites become active when the temperature reaches 4 C and begin searching for blood foods from animals and humans.

“The ticks in the west foot and the tick out of the black foot in the west carry Lyme disease and other diseases. So when we get bitten by a tick, we are at risk of acquiring these diseases,” said Dr. Sarah Keating at the Lyme Disease Foundation of Canada.

This is because mites are really good to spray the disease, she said. They have their own microbiota, just like us, filled with a variety of microorganisms.

Once the mites begin to feed, some of these organisms can migrate to the salivary glands. Then, if mites continue to inject saliva into the skin to flow blood, avoiding detection, these pathogens can enter our bloodstream and potentially cause disease.

A mild winter means more mites can survive the winter under the leaf litter, Keating said.

“In the past, migratory birds will have mites coming to migratory birds when we had a very cold winter. But now they are surviving, especially in certain parts of Canada… Nova Scotia, southern Southern Quebec, southern Ontario, southern Manitoba and southern Southern Southern Manitoba

And then put it back.

Lyme disease is on the rise in Canada. According to data from the Canadian Public Health Agency (PHAC), only 144 cases were reported nationwide in 2009. By 2021, that number had jumped to over 2,800.

That spike line up with the increased range of black foot ticks found in parts of all southern states now. Warm weather and changing ecosystems help these mites spread north at a rate of 35-55 km each year, studies suggest.

Lyme disease is Canada's most famous tick-borne disease, but it's far from the only one. As black-footed mites expand their territory, so does the extent of disease they can carry, scientists are constantly discovering new threats.

“Babesiosis is a big thing,” Keating said. “There are also diseases like ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and fever with spotted rocky mountains. New pathogens are constantly being discovered.”

These lesser known infections can be particularly severe for people with weakened immune systems.

Lyme disease is caused by H. Borreliaburgdorferi. Treatment is possible, but early detection is important.

“If someone knows that they're bitten by a mites and develops symptoms like rash or flu right away, antibiotics can usually clean it up,” Keating said. “The problem is that many people don't even know they've been bitten. The ticks are small and can bite you in places where you can't see, like your scalp or back.”

Symptoms of Lyme disease often appear in stages. In the early stages, people may notice a faint rash of bulls around bites, fatigue, fever, or muscle pain. Without treatment, the infection can progress to more severe complications.

“In a few weeks, the nervous system could be involved. You might see facial paralysis, such as Bell's paralysis, joint pain, and continuous fatigue,” she said. “If it becomes chronic, it can affect the brain and even lead to mental health challenges such as depression or in rare cases, mental illness.”

As mites become more common across Canada, experts are highlighting the importance of regular mites checks, especially after spending time outdoors in areas with grassy, ​​wooded or brushes.

“It's very important to have mites checked when people are outside, especially in the forest or long grass, when they return inside. It's also important to check for mites on the full body, including the scalp, and young children who can't check themselves,” Keating said.

Trend now

But ticks are more than just a problem in the forest. It could also be seen in urban areas, such as urban parks and backyards, explained Justin Wood, CEO of Genetics, a Canadian company that tests Lyme disease mites.

“What I always say to people is that it's where the birds can go and the mites can go too,” he said. “Ticks often attach to birds, which is what moves around local and nationally, even across the continent.”

Wood also emphasized the importance of doing thorough mites checks after spending time outdoors. Adult ticks are easy to find the size of blueberry size when they are completely bloody, but they are much more difficult to see nymphs and sometimes not larger than freckles.

If you find a tick, he said, the first thing to do is to safely remove it. This can be done by using fine tip tweezers to grab the tick as close as possible to the skin and pull it up.

“As soon as the mites are off, we can make decisions about what to do next. Our suggestion is always to test the mites,” Wood said.

“There are no major diagnoses in the early stages of Lyme disease, so if a bite is made it very difficult to communicate at the previous stage whether the disease is transmitted or not.

In addition to doing mites checks, there are other effective ways to help prevent mites from biting. He said that using insect repellents with DEET or Icaridin to attach to the center of the trail, wearing long sleeves and pants, all reducing the risk.

Pets, especially dogs, can be the main route for mites to enter the home, even if they don't show any signs of biting.

“There are preventative medications that can be taken once a month or once every three months to prevent mites in dogs,” Keating said. “When the mites bite an animal, they'll come down immediately.”

Still, she warned that Tick could go to your home, even if he didn't ride on the dog's fur and bite your pet.

“If they're sitting on your lap or sleeping in your bed, the mites allow humans to crawl,” she said. “That's a huge risk for pet owners.”

Checking your pet, especially after a walk or outside, is just as important as checking yourself. But that's not always easy.

“I have a big black dog,” Keating added. “And it's hard to find ticks in him.”

She encouraged pet owners to talk to their veterinarian about mites prevention and medication.