Thread by @globeandmail

Coming into the summer, researchers are seeing an explosion of ticks that could spell big trouble as Canadians plunge into the outdoors - a spike facilitated by climate change that's allowing them to infect more people with Lyme disease

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Cases of Lyme disease, the most common tick-borne disease have increased rapidly over the past decade, from 144 in 2009 to 2,636 preliminary cases in 2019 - a statistic that can be used as a proxy for the growth of tick populations

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“20 years ago, we really didn’t have a problem to the extent we do now – but it’s getting worse and worse,” says Dr. Lori Burrows, a professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University in Hamilton.

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Young ticks are about the size of a poppy seed, while adults are roughly as big as a sesame seed. They transfer to humans through contact with vegetation, meaning bites can happen in gardens, playgrounds, and residential areas

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Canadians are noticing the rise: When Katie Stevenson moved from PEI to Digby, N.S., in 2019, she’d never even seen a tick. Since the spring, the ticks on their rural two-acre property have become so abundant, she’s had to restrict where her children play

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One evening, Ms. Stevenson was brushing her daughter’s hair when she felt what she thought was a scab on the top of her head. After removing the tick, her daughter was treated with an antibiotic, but now has to be monitored for symptoms of Lyme disease

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One notable symptom of early Lyme disease is a bull's eye rash, though experts warn that not every case begins with one and it's not easy to spot

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How can you protect yourself from ticks? And what should you do if you get bitten by a tick? There are a number of strategies to avoid the biting bugs, including staying on trails and performing full-body tick checks. Read for more tips:

tgam.ca/ticks