Bayham resident tests positive for Lyme disease

Elgin St. Thomas Public Health is advising outdoor enthusiasts to take precautions after finding out a Bayham resident has tested positive for Lyme disease.

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black-legged tick, also known as a deer tick.

Deer ticks  live in areas with tall grass, marshlands and bushes where they can attach to humans or pets who walk by.

Steps to avoid deer tick bites include:

• Wearing long sleeves, pants tucked into socks, and fully-enclosed boots or shoes when walking in grassy or wooded areas;
• Wearing light coloured clothes to make ticks easier to see;
• Using an insect repellent with DEET;
• Doing a tick check after walks by showering and toweling off to remove loose ticks, then checking your body for any ticks.

To carefully remove a tick, health unit officials recommend using fine-tipped tweezers, grabbing the insect as close to the skin as possible and pulling it straight out while not squeezing it.

Then clean the bite with rubbing alcohol and/or soap and water, put the tick in a screw-top bottle or other container and call the health unit for advice.