Changes are coming to the way tick testing and assessments are done locally.
The North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit says residents have a couple months left to submit a tick to them for laboratory testing.
“Effective January 1, 2025, the public will be asked to use online tools to assess the risk of tick-borne disease transmission,” states a release. “This decision comes as part of the Health Unit’s efforts to make tick identification more efficient for the public.”
Officials say current testing is done through a private lab and it’s a lengthy process which often means delays in timely information that may determine whether an individual seeks medical information.
During the transition, the Health Unit is encouraging the public to visit etick.ca which allows people to submit photos of ticks and have their species identified by a professional within 48 hours.
They’re also encouraged to visit an online tick bites and lyme disease risk tool.
