Tick on a human hand.

Lyme Disease

Home Health and Wellness Illness, Infection and DiseaseLyme Disease

Temporary suspension of tick submissions

The Durham Region Health Department is currently not able to accept tick submissions for identification and potential testing.
If you find a tick crawling or feeding on you or a family member, keep the tick and call the Durham Region Health Department and a public health inspector will call you to advise you what to do.

If you have any symptoms related to Lyme disease contact your health care provider immediately for advice about treatment.

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that affects people and animals. It is spread by the bite of an infected tick.

There are many different types of ticks. Currently, in Ontario, only the black-legged tick can spread Lyme disease. Not all black-legged ticks are infected. Lyme disease cannot spread from person to person.

Watch our public health inspector discuss how to get tick smart and protect yourself.

Lyme Disease in Durham Region infographic

Protect yourself against Lyme disease

Black-legged ticks

Black-legged ticks are usually found in or near wooded or forested areas, in leaf litter, or on bushes and tall grass.

Ticks need blood to survive and they can become infected when they feed on infected wild animals such as birds, rodents or deer. Only then can they spread the infection to humans or pets.

Black-legged ticks are very small. Immature ticks can be the size of a poppy seed and adults the size of a sesame seed.

They often attach to areas of the body where they are hard to see, such as the groin, armpit and scalp.

Ticks cannot fly or jump. Instead, they climb onto grasses or bushes and wait for a host (person or animal) to brush by. A tick will quickly attach and then find a suitable place to bite.

Signs and symptoms

Someone with Lyme disease may experience any of the following symptoms:

Early signs

Expanding rash at the site of a recent tick bite that may look like a "bulls eye".
Fever.
Feeling of discomfort.
Headache.
Joint and muscle pain.
Neck weakness or stiffness.
Fatigue.
Eye irritation.
Behavioural changes.
Sleep trouble.

If left untreated, more severe symptoms may occur. Severe symptoms may include:

Headaches.
More skin rashes.
Facial paralysis.
Muscle, joint, tendon and bone aches that come and go.
Heart issues (palpitations, abnormal heartbeat).
Neurological symptoms (dizziness, mental confusion or trouble thinking clearly, and memory loss, inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, nerve pain, numbness or tingling in the hands or feet).
Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling, most commonly in the knees and sometimes in other joints such as the ankle, elbow and wrists.

Diagnosis, testing and treatment

Contact your health care provider as soon as possible if you notice signs of Lyme disease.

Diagnosis

A diagnosis of Lyme disease is based on:

signs and symptoms
history of tick bite
the results of lab testing

Testing

A blood test is the most common way to test for Lyme disease. However, it should not be the only factor in diagnosing the disease.

Treatment

Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated with two to four weeks of antibiotics.
There is currently no vaccine available in Canada to prevent Lyme disease.

Protecting yourself from tick bites

Wear long pants and long sleeves.
Wear light coloured clothing makes ticks easier to see.
Apply insect repellent containing DEET and follow the product label.
After spending time outdoors in wooded or bushy areas, shower to remove ticks before they attach to the skin.
Check your full body and head for ticks.
Check your children and pets for ticks.
If you find a tick, remove it as soon as possible.

How to remove a tick, have it identified or test it

If you find a tick on yourself or someone else:

Remove it gently with fine-tipped tweezers.
Do not squeeze, try to burn it off or spray it with insect repellent.
Grab the tick as close to skin as possible.
Pull the tick away from skin gently but firmly.
Place the tick in a jar or bottle

Contact your health care provider for treatment and diagnostic options once in contact with a tick.

How can I have a tick identified

If you are interested in having the tick identified, eTick.ca is a free online service that uses a photograph of the tick to identify its type.

How can I have the tick tested for tick-borne diseases?

If you would like to have the tick tested for the presence of a tick-borne disease, such as Lyme, babesiosis and/or anaplasmosis, there are several private laboratories who can test the tick for a fee.

Who is at risk?

Black-legged ticks have been found in Durham Region. This means that these ticks are starting to settle here.

The risk of getting Lyme disease in the Region is low. You have a higher risk if you are an outdoor enthusiast and you live in or visit any area that has black-legged ticks.

Risk locations

Durham Region Health Department's tick surveillance program helps to determine where black-legged ticks have become established in Durham Region. This information helps assess the risk of Lyme disease.

Map of risk locations in Ontario

Role of the Health Department

Durham Region Health Department works to prevent and reduce the spread of Lyme disease in humans through tick surveillance and the investigation of human cases.

Vector-borne diseases reports

Vector-borne diseases in Durham Region weekly summary reports

Vector-Borne Diseases Annual Report 2018

Additional information