TORONTO -- Climate change has caused tick populations to increase and spread into urban areas throughout Canada, scientists say.
Cases of Lyme disease from tick bites have increased in the last decade. Heath MacMillan, a biology professor at Carleton University, told CTV鈥檚 Your Morning this is because climate change has impacted the movement and spread of tick populations, causing them to move out of their traditional habitats in forests, along trails and in rural environments, into urban centres.
鈥淭his year we had a particularly mild winter, especially in southern Ontario and also a wetter winter,鈥� MacMillan said in an interview on Friday 鈥淭his is something that is happening more and more frequently. We鈥檙e having winters like this because of climate change, where we鈥檙e not getting as much snow cover, we鈥檙e not getting as much constant low temperatures, and this is something that makes ticks survive better in the winter which means we have more in the spring.鈥�
2,636 cases of Lyme disease in 2019 compared to 144 cases in 2009.
the species that carries Lyme disease, are found in forests, wooded areas and on shrubs, leaves and long grass.
However, with milder weather, some ticks have been able to survive the winter, which has led to an increase in population and habitat spreading.
鈥淧eople are tending to find them now in more urban areas rather than just in rural areas or trails, because populations grow they end up in different areas,鈥� MacMillan said. 鈥淭hey can also evolve to change over time because they have a relatively short life cycle.鈥�
Over 88 per cent of the reported cases of Lyme disease in 2016 were from Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, .
Despite this, MacMillan says people shouldn鈥檛 stop enjoying the outdoors out of fear of being bitten by an infected tick. However, he says Canadians should be cautious and take certain measures to protect themselves.
鈥淭he biggest thing we can do is to wear long pants, long sleeve clothing. Tics can鈥檛 jump, they climb onto us from vegetation low-down, so essentially if you鈥檙e wearing stuff that covers your skin, they are less likely to get access to your skin and to bite you,鈥� MacMillan said.
Ticks practise behaviour known as where the insect uses its back legs to hang onto low bushes or grass, allowing it to stretch out its front legs and attach onto whatever passes by.
鈥淎nother big recommendation is to check yourself after you鈥檝e been outside to see if you find any ticks,鈥� MacMillan says. 鈥淟ook for the warmest places on your body, which tend to be places like our armpits, between our legs, areas that are generally warmer. That鈥檚 where they like to bite.鈥�
Public Health Canada also recommends using insect repellent, putting clothes in the dryer after being outdoors and maintaining one鈥檚 property to prevent tick infection.
Pet owners should also check their pets for ticks, MacMillan said.
鈥淚n terms of taking pets out for a walk, there is great medication available from vets that can prevent dogs, for example, from getting bit by ticks. Essentially, it鈥檚 a toxin that the ticks, when they bite, they die,鈥� MacMillan explained. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 great because it actually not only protects your dog, but it also protects you because if the tick is dead it can鈥檛 come off the dog and onto you.鈥�
If you are bitten by a tick, MacMillan says the arachnids can be removed at home.
鈥淵ou can pull them off with tweezers. If you get them within 24 hours the chances of them transmitting Lyme disease is very low,鈥� MacMillan said.
Health Canada straight out of the skin without crushing the insect helps ensure that bacteria from the tick does not enter the bloodstream.
Once ticks are removed, they should be placed in a secure container and local public health units should be contacted to help keep track of where ticks are located.
MacMillan said it is important to be educated on how to stay safe around ticks.
鈥淲e tend to have an innate fear, kind of an internal fear in general about insects and arachnids鈥︹�� says MacMillan. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e part of life, they're part of the wonderful world of biology that鈥檚 out there and I think being aware of them and being careful and knowledgeable about what the risks are and how to avoid the worst consequences is really the best thing we can do.鈥�
