While the probability is low, it is possible to find an infected tick almost anywhere in Ontario. Blacklegged ticks are spreading to new areas of the province, sometimes travelling on birds and deer.
Ticks are most active in spring and summer but can be found at any time of the year when the temperature is above freezing (0°C). As we experience global warming, ticks are becoming a greater concern.
See Public Health Ontario's Lyme Disease Estimated Risk Areas Map for more information.
Found a tick on you?
Being bitten by a blacklegged tick (also called a deer tick) has the potential to cause serious infections and diseases.
Thankfully, not all blacklegged ticks carry the infectious agents that cause diseases, and not everyone who is bitten by an infected tick will develop signs and symptoms of diseases.
However, if you've found a tick on you, it is always good to look into your risk of infection.
Submit a photo of your tick and find out its species within 48 hours on eTick.ca.
More Information |
See the Ministry of Health’s Tick-Borne Diseases webpage for information about:
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For a limited time, you can bring a tick found on a human to our North Bay or Parry Sound office for laboratory testing. This testing is for surveillance purposes only and is not intended to replace clinical guidance.
Contact our Environmental Health program for more information on tick testing:
705-474-1400 or toll-free at 1-800-563-2808, Ext. 5400.
Local Information
2023 Statistics for Lyme Disease
Incidence rate is the number of new cases of a disease divided by the number of persons at risk for the disease during a particular time period.
Cases:
2*
*Includes confirmed and probable cases in 2023.
Incidence rate per 100,000 in 2023: 1.5
Incidence Rate per 100,000 of Lyme Disease by Year
Data Sources |
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2024 Tick Data
Last updated October 22, 2024.
Ticks sent for identification: 134
Results received: 118
Blacklegged Ticks: 66
Tested positive for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease: 9
Anaplasmosis |
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Babesiosis |
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Powassan Virus |
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Additional Resources |
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Reporting |
Report to the Health Unit by next business day by phone at 705-474-1400 or toll free at 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 if Lyme disease is suspected or confirmed as per Ontario Regulation 135/18 and amendments under the Health Protection and Promotion Act, R.S.O., c.H.7. |
Should one go to childcare, school, or work if they have Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses? |
No exclusion necessary. Person to person transmission has not been documented. |
Healthcare Providers - Next Steps |
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For more information please contact the Communicable Disease Control Program at 705-474-1400 or 1-800-563-2808, ext. 5229 or by email at cdc@healthunit.ca
Last updated: August 2024