Lyme Disease : What to do if you find a tick on you
Last Sunday, Time Magazine published a video explaining the steps to follow if you get bitten by a tick. With summer coming up, we thought it would be a great idea to share this video with you. If you don’t have the time to watch the entire video, here are the four steps:
1. Don’t panic
Often, people tend to panic when they are bitten by a tick. However, remember that not all ticks are infected.
2. Use tweezers to remove the tick
Try to remove the tick as soon as you can. Also, pay attention to not burst the abdomen of the tick.
3. Capture the bug
Put the tick in a jar or a ziplock bag, in case you need to test it later.
4. Monitor symptoms
If your skin becomes irritated, if you develop flu-like symptoms or a rash anywhere on your body, see your doctor as soon as possible.
If you go to places where you might be in contact with ticks, it’s good to know that the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation sells a Tick Removal Kit on their website. The kit can be purchased for 16$.
Also, if you feel ticks are a major concern in your municipality and if you want to get the most effective solution to control a tick population, feel free to contact us. GDG offers active Ixodes surveillance, PCR detection of Lyme disease and can deliver risk analysis maps of parks or municipalities.