Earth’s climate has always been shifting, from periods of extreme cold to periods of warmer temperatures. But this was all due to Earth changing its orbit, thus improving the quantity of solar energy that it receives. In the last centuries, with the beginning of the industrial revolution, the air pollution increased to unprecedented levels.
That led to disastrous climate change that still continues to affect our home planet. Now, a new study revealed that climate change increased the number of ticks in Canada, and not only.
Temperatures become higher and higher each year in Canada, and so is the population of ticks. Due to climate change, higher temperatures are recorded all year round; that means that ticks live more, which, in turn, leads to them reproducing more. And that is not all. They are also dispersing to northern parts of the country as you guessed it, the temperature gets warmer.
Climate Change Causes An Increase In The Number Of Ticks In Canada
One of the greatest threats of ticks spreading everywhere is the expansion of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is a virulent infection produced by ticks. The most widespread proof of infection is an increasing patch of redness on the skin. While immediate symptoms can be high temperature, migraines, and fatigue, left untreated, it can also lead to facial paralysis, pains of the articulations, severe migraines, or heart palpitations.
Lyme Disease can also cause harm months or even years after the tick infected a person, with articulation pain and fatigue. In the last twenty years, ticks only lived in Southern Ontario, but have now spread to the northern part of the state, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Manitoba. Saskatchewan is not off the list as researchers preparing for the first signs of the bugs.
During this time, the percentage of Lyme infections grew exponentially (144 infected people per 100,000 in 2009 to 992 affected people per 100,000 in 2016). Researchers recommend people to wear clothes with long sleeves, to use bug spray and dispose of any tick no later than 24 hours.
Tiesha loves to share her passion for everything that’s beautiful in this world. Apart from writing on her beauty blog and running her own beauty channel on Youtube, she also enjoys traveling and photography. Tiesha covers various stories on the website.