The Eastern Ontario Health Unit (EOHU) is advising residents that black-legged ticks, which can spread Lyme disease to humans, are being found in a growing number of locations across the five eastern counties.
In Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry and Prescott-Russell, at least 20 per cent of black-legged ticks are carrying the Lyme bacteria, which is why the disease is now considered endemic, or well established, in this region.
Check yourself for ticks whenever you go outdoors, but be particularly vigilant if you enjoy the Glengarry Trails.
That warning comes from the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, which has red-flagged the paths as “at risk” areas. “What this signifies is that although it is possible to encounter black-legged ticks almost anywhere in Ontario, there is greater risk of occurrence in those areas,” Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis writes in a recent letter to North Glengarry Township.
The black-legged, or deer tick is a prime carrier of Lyme disease.
