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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 23, 2015 | 34 Travellers reminded ticks can cause Lyme disease by Bob Mitchell Oakville Beaver Staff Health "Connected to your Community" Halton's Health Department is reminding travellers to protect themselves against tick-borne diseases and help prevent Lyme disease from spreading. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread by the black-legged tick. Any one engaged in outdoor activities in wooded, brushy, or tallgrass areas should take measures to prevent tick bites. "With an increasing amount of people travelling outside of Halton over the summer months, it's important people know how to protect themselves from Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases," Halton Regional Chair Gary Carr said in a news release. "Even though the number of ticks in Halton is currently low, our submit-a-tick program is another example of how we are responding to the changing needs of our community and taking proactive steps to ensure we're able to keep our communities safe and healthy." Symptoms of Lyme disease include a rash, muscle aches, fever and headache. Ticks are known to inhabit the following areas; Long Point Provincial Park, Pinery Provincial Park, Point Pelee Provincial Park, Rondeau Provincial Park, Rouge Valley, Turkey Point Provincial Park, Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area and St. Lawrence Islands National Park. "If Halton residents find a tick on themselves or their family members, there's no need to panic as the risk of disease from ticks found in Halton is extremely low," said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton Region Medical Officer of Health. "Our submit-a-tick program allows people to submit ticks taken from Halton residents to the Halton Region Health Department for testing to ensure the tick is disease-free. "With support from the community, this program will help us assess the risk of tickborne diseases in Halton Region and take preventative actions if needed." If you see a tick on your skin, grasp its head with fine-tip tweezers, as close to your Dr. Hamidah Meghani skin as possible. Then slowly pull until tick is removed. It's important to keep the tick intact so health officials can determine whether it is the kind of tick that causes Lyme disease. Ticks should be stored in a container and use soap and water to wash the area where bitten. You should see a physician right away if you develop rash, or other symptoms, and contact the Health department for information as to what to do with the stored tick. To protect themselves and their families from tick bites, residents should wear lightcoloured, long-sleeved shirts and pants with tightly-woven fabric. Shirts should also be tucked into pants and pant legs should be tucked into socks to keep ticks away from bare skin. It's also a good idea to wear shoes that cover the entire foot, avoiding sandals or open shoes. Clothing and your body should also be checked after finishing outdoor activity. Ticks are known to target the groin, armpits and hairline. Pets should also be checked regularly for ticks. To learn more about how to prevent tick bites, or how to participate in the submit-atick program, visit halton.ca/lymedisease or dial 311. Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired? 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