Tiny Ticks, Big Risks: How to Prevent Lyme Disease and Protect Ontario Outdoor Workers

This episode of the IHSA Safety Podcast focuses on tick risks in Ontario and how workers can protect themselves from tick-borne illnesses, and features Dr. Curtis Russell, Senior Program Specialist at Public Health Ontario.

Dr. Russell explains that while tick populations and Lyme disease cases can vary year to year depending on weather, the long-term trend in Ontario shows a steady increase—particularly for black-legged ticks, the only species in the province known to transmit Lyme disease. He outlines where ticks are most commonly found, such as brushy, wooded areas with leaf litter, and notes that their range has expanded across much of southern Ontario.

Dr. Russell shares practical prevention strategies for people working outdoors, including wearing light-coloured clothing, tucking in clothing, using repellents, and performing thorough tick checks both before leaving a worksite and again at home. He also explains how to properly remove a tick, the importance of early removal to reduce the risk of disease transmission, and why common myths—such as ticks jumping or falling from trees—are inaccurate.

In addition to Lyme disease, Dr. Russell briefly discusses other tick-borne illnesses in Ontario and reinforces that the same prevention measures apply.

Free resources

· Guard against insect bites and stings

· Insect bites and stings (safety talk)

· Lyme disease (safety talk)

· Ontario Vector-Borne Disease Tool 

· Ontario Tick-Borne Diseases

· eTick

· TickTOOL

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