Infectious Diseases

Lyme Disease

If you spend time outdoors in forests and wooded areas or areas with shrubs, tall grass, and leaf litter for work or play, you should be aware of ticks and Lyme disease.

What is Lyme disease?

Lyme disease is a potentially serious infection that you can get if you’re bitten by an infected blacklegged tick (also called a deer tick). Not all blacklegged ticks carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, and not everyone who is bitten by an infected tick will develop signs and symptoms of Lyme disease. 

Lyme disease can be a serious, but preventable illness. You can protect yourself and your family: 

  • Know where the high-risk areas are located in your community and when you travel. 
  • Learn about what to do if you find a tick, get bit, or get sick. 
  • Do a tick check after all outdoor activities and learn more about how to prevent exposure. 

High-risk areas

Lambton Public Health (LPH) has identified the Pinery Provincial Park and the 20 km area surrounding the Pinery Provincial Park, as a high-risk area. 

Southeastern Lambton County recently has been identified in 2026, through public health tick dragging efforts in Chatham-Kent and Middlesex-London.  

Established Risk Areas for Blacklegged Ticks are published by Public Health Ontario. 

Lambton Public Heath uses active surveillance techniques to identify risk. 

  • Lambton Public Health has seen an increase in the population of blacklegged ticks in the high-risk areas.  
  • The annual number of human cases of Lyme disease in Lambton is increasing.  The number of cases in 2024 was 2.5 times higher than the number of cases in 2020. (LPH Dashboard) 
  • Additionally, LPH has seen an increase in the number of blacklegged ticks testing positive for the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.  

What to do if you find a tick

If a blacklegged tick has been attached for more than 24 hours, safely remove the tick and see a pharmacist, physician, or nurse practitioner within 72 hours. You may be eligible for preventive antibiotics.  

If you develop any symptoms (e.g., fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, decreased appetite, muscle and joint aches, joint swelling, swollen lymph nodes) in the 30 days following a tick bite, see a physician or nurse practitioner right away.  

Safely remove a tick 

Identify blacklegged ticks 

Options to submit a tick for identification  

This involves identifying the type of tick, to help assess risk, as some ticks are potential carriers of disease (i.e., blacklegged ticks in Lambton County). The most common tick in Lambton is the American dog tick and is not a transmitter of Lyme disease. 

If you found a tick on a person, remove it, and save the tick alive in a jar, screw-top bottle, or a doubled zip-lock bag. Then submit a tick for identification through one of these options. 

Online forms to capture details and a photo:

Bring to Lambton Public Health, located at 160 Exmouth Street, Point Edward ON during standard business hours Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 

Lyme disease signs and symptoms 

Not all tick bites result in Lyme disease, but early detection and removal are important. Prompt treatment of Lyme disease can help prevent more serious illness. 

Most symptoms of Lyme disease in humans usually appear between three and 30 days after a bite from an infected blacklegged tick. If you develop any symptoms (e.g., fever, chills, headache, stiff neck, fatigue, decreased appetite, muscle and joint aches, joint swelling, swollen lymph nodes) in the 30 days following a tick bite, see a physician or nurse practitioner right away. 

There is no testing for Lyme disease available at Lambton Public Health. 

Prevent tick bites

Use repellent: Apply insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin on skin and clothing to repel ticks. 

Cover up: wear long sleeves, pants, and tuck pants into socks to reduce exposed skin.

Check for ticks: check yourself, family, and pets for ticks, especially after outdoor activities near wooded areas, local high-risk areas, or other established risk areas. 

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