Climate change and your health

With summer quickly approaching and warmer weather now here, I’d like to take a moment to discuss how climate change affects our health, specifically with the increase in vector-borne diseases in Durham Region.

As our climate warms, diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes, such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus disease, are spreading more quickly. Infections can range from mild to very serious, especially for older adults, young children, Indigenous Peoples, and people with chronic health conditions.

Durham Region Health Department has released a report called, "Assessing the Impact of Vector-borne Disease", as part of our Climate Change and Health series. You can read it at durham.ca/ClimateAndHealth.

The report shows a sharp rise in Lyme disease in our region and increasing cases of West Nile virus disease, yet many people aren’t protecting themselves from ticks and mosquitoes. In a recent local public health survey, 90 per cent of residents reported they don’t use insect repellent and most reported that they don’t check for ticks after being in grassy or wooded areas.

Simple but consistent measures can protect you and your loved ones from infections including:

• Wearing long sleeves and pants when in grassy or wooded areas to protect from tick and mosquito bites.
• Using insect repellent with DEET or picaridin.
• Always checking your body for ticks after being outdoors, and;
• Keeping your yard free of standing water, tall grass, leaf litter and clutter.

Whether it’s hiking, gardening or just relaxing, being outside is one of the best ways to enjoy warm weather and there is so much to explore in our region. A few simple habits—like using bug spray and checking for ticks—can help limit exposure to ticks and mosquitoes for you and your family.

To learn more about how to protect yourself visit: durham.ca/Ticks and durham.ca/WestNileVirus.