Yo, Lyme Disease is Spreading in Canada! Stay Safe Out There 🇨🇦 ➡️ 🦠

The Deets

Okay, fam, listen up! There's some serious tea brewing about tick-borne diseases in Canada. Lyme disease, in particular, is spreading to new areas, and it's low-key kinda sus. The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) dropped the deets, identifying thousands of postal codes across more than 1,100 municipalities as risk zones. That's a lot of places where you could get got!

The high-risk spots are mainly along the U.S. border and in major cities. We're talking Vancouver Island, coastal B.C., river valleys in southern B.C., Manitoba, Southern Ontario's Great Lakes coasts, a strip along the St. Lawrence River, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. Climate change is playing a major role, making it easier for ticks to survive the winter and expand their territory. Warmer winters are a W for ticks, but a major L for us!

Blacklegged ticks are the usual suspects in Eastern Canada, while the western blacklegged tick is the problem in B.C. If you get bit, Lyme disease symptoms can range from mild (fever, fatigue, rash) to severe (headaches, arthritis, cognitive issues, paralysis). Word is, cases of Lyme disease are on the rise, and they might even be underreported. That's why it's important to stay woke and protect yourself!

Here's the 411 on staying safe: wear light-colored clothes, tuck your pants into your socks (it's a look, trust), and use insect repellent. If a tick does latch on, remove it ASAP by the head without squeezing the body. If it's been less than 24 hours, your chances of catching Lyme disease are pretty low. If you develop any symptoms after a bite, hit up a healthcare provider ASAP. Antibiotics work best right after exposure, so don't sleep on it!