What if I find a tick?

If you find a tick on your body, remove it as soon as possible. The risk of getting Lyme disease or other tick-borne diseases increases with the length of time the tick remains attached to your body.

Since the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry, Prescott-Russell and Cornwall are now considered an at-risk area for Lyme disease, it is important to contact your health care provider or pharmacist if you believe a tick has been attached to you for 24 or more hours, or if you are unsure how long the tick has been attached to you, so that your health care provider or pharmacist can determine if you need treatment with antibiotic prophylaxis. Treatment with antibiotic prophylaxis could be considered when:

• the tick has been attached for 24 or more hours AND
• it has been less than or equal to 72 hours since the tick has been removed

If the tick was attached for less than 24 hours or if you removed a tick and more than 72 hours have passed, you should still be on the lookout for signs and symptoms of tick-borne illness for the next 30 days. If you do develop symptoms, consult your health care provider.

NOTE: The EOHU does not collect ticks removed from patients for testing or identification. To confirm if a tick is a blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis or I. scapularis), you can submit a photo of it for species identification to www.etick.ca.