We are on high alert for staying safe from COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean that other stuff can’t go wrong.  We were blindsided for the second time since this madness started.

The first was a surprise attack of the shingles on one of our captive young residents.  A quick online consultation and a prescription helped to alleviate the pain and all is well now.

Today, Tony discovered a male deer tick attached to his hip with a nice bullseye around it.  I carefully removed it with tweezers (see below the correct way to remove ticks). We got a hold of our doctor right away and he faxed over a prescription.

Tony is taking precautionary antibiotics for 21 days; hopefully, we caught it in time and the treatment is effective.  Nonetheless, this is a reminder to stay alert if you are in an area that may be affected by Lyme Disease.  There are a lot of online resources to help identify the pests and maps that show the spread if you are not sure about the area you are in.

How to remove ticks

• use narrow tipped tweezers and grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible
• pull outwards without twisting in a slow and steady motion
• clean your hands, the affected are and the tweezers with soap and water or alcohol
• do not use any other methods such as matches or vaseline to try and get the tick out

Here is some more info from the Mayo Clinic.  And the Global Lyme Alliance offers information about the spread of the disease, research, and in-depth information.

They also provide this map showing the spread of the disease though migratory birds.

Canada

IPAC Canada (Infection Prevention and Control Canada has a very informative site if you want to learn more about Lyme disease spread, symptoms, and prevention.

CanLyme also has good resources on their website.

There is general information about the spread of Lyme disease in Canada in this website.

There is more detailed information for every province and for specific regions.  For example, Ontario published this map and info sheet (although it is dated 2018).

United States

The Centre for Disease Control provides this map and additional information about the disease.

This article is very informative and goes a bit beyond symptoms and geographical spread of Lyme Disease.

The main thing to remember is that there are more things to be vilinant about and not just COVID-19, so if you are escaping to nature, remember to check for ticks!

Please note that I am not a medical professional.  If you encounter a tick please consult your doctor for diagnosis, advice, and treatment.

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