Just a Pinch of SALT - Tick Talk

Kelli McRobert | Jul 27, 2022

SALT -Seniors and Law Enforcement Together, founded in 2015, offered a presentation by Kingston Frontenac Lennox and Addington Public Health (KFLAPH) on ticks this past week. Joan Black, RN was the guest speaker who spoke about these little insects that can cause quite an illness if left untreated. The Verona Lions Hall was the host of the free event with South Frontenac Community Services providing a BBQ lunch for the crowd of more than 70 people.

The 40-minute discussion highlighted a few areas including prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme disease. Some of the new words that I took home were ‘questing’ where the tick will be on a leaf and have its front legs up to catch a ride and climb onto a host, and ‘permethrin’ which is an anti-parasite chemical that is added to clothing to prevent ticks, and mosquitoes, from biting. This type of clothing is still difficult to find in Canada but there is some repellent clothing available from Dakota through Marks Work Warehouse with a trade marked No Fly Zone branding that claims to last up to 70 washes.

Black also described two types of tick, black-legged and deer ticks, and their gestational cycle and feeding. There are also studies that show which ticks typically carry the disease (black-legged) and signs and symptoms of the infection.

As these little pests will climb upwards, so check all crevices especially the nape (neck) which is a nice thin-skinned area and a tasty location for them to latch onto. If walking along trails, avoid the edges and stick with the centre of the pathway, as ticks tend to prefer the humid undergrowth. Keep lawns cut short as they do not like the dry heat.

Statistically, “tick-borne disease has increased by 150 percent between 2020-2021” according Vett Lloyd, a researcher at the Lloyd Tick Lab in New Brunswick, “with almost 2900 cases reported federally last year and some cases are undetected or unreported”.

You can read the full article in the Globe and Mail at: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-experts-expect-bad-year-for-ticks-as-disease-carrying-bugs-expand

For prevention Joan Black made a number of recommendations. Apply a Health Canada approved insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin to exposed skin and clothing, and consider wearing permethrin-treated clothing.

Wear light-coloured clothing to spot ticks more easily, and wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, socks, and closed footwear. Tuck pants into socks.

Walk on cleared paths or trails and keep children and pets from wandering off the path. Check yourself, children, pets, clothing, and anything else you are bringing in with you for ticks when coming indoors.

After outdoor activity put clothes in a dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes to kill any ticks. Shower or bathe after coming inside to wash away loose ticks.

Perform a daily tick check and pay special attention to your scalp, ankles, armpits, groin, naval and behind ears and knees. Do the same for others in your care and pets. Talk to you vet about protecting your pets. Create a tick free zone around your house by maintaining your property

Symptoms of Lyme disease often occur within 1 to 2 weeks. Sometimes symptoms can appear as early as 3 days or as late as 30 days after a bite with an infected tick.

Symptoms can include: fever, headache, muscle and joint pain, spasms, numbness, and tingling, facial paralysis, fatigue, swollen glands, spreading skin rash. If rash is present, it commonly does not look like a bullseye.

See your health care provider right away whether you have symptoms or are just feeling unwell in the weeks following a tick bite.

Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics. Left untreated, Lyme disease can last years and cause recurring arthritis, and neurological problems.

Another disease that was discussed during this session was Anaplasmosis which is described on the KFLAPH website as the following:

Anaplasmosis is a tick-borne disease that has been identified in the KFL&A region. It is caused by the bacterium Anaplasmosis phagocytophilium and is transmitted to humans through the bite of a blacklegged tick, the same tick that transmits Lyme disease.

In most cases, anaplasmosis is mild and self-limiting. Symptoms usually resolve within 30 days, even without treatment. However, more severe illness can occur in certain populations, such as older individuals and those with a weakened immune system, as well as those in whom diagnosis and treatment are delayed.

The first symptoms usually appear within 1-2 weeks following the bite of an infected tick and include: fever, severe headache, muscle aches, and gastrointestinal symptoms

See your health care provider if you become ill after being bitten by a tick or having been in tick habitat.

Your health care provider can order blood tests to look for evidence of anaplasmosis and other illnesses that cause similar symptoms If your health care provider thinks you have anaplasmosis, or another tick-borne infection, they may prescribe antibiotics while you wait for test results

If treatment is delayed or if there are other medical conditions present, sometimes anaplasmosis can cause severe illness.

For more information on ticks locally check out their website at: https://www.kflaph.ca/en/healthy-living/lyme-disease-.aspx

For more information on upcoming SALT events check out their web page at: www.sfcsc.ca, https://frontenacsalt.ca/ or call 613-376-6477.

The next SALT event in South Frontenac will be in September, a talk about Cannabis which will be held in Battersea.