Health unit inspecting tick hotspots in Essex County

It's tick season and Windsor-Essex health officials are urging the public to be aware of the dangers posed by the tiny arachnids.

That's because the number of detected cases of Lyme disease in Canada is on the rise each year.

The Windsor-Essex Health Unit was out on Wednesday, inspecting potential hotspots.

“We're looking at areas with a known deer population, an areas with high levels of grass, bush and trees, so nature areas,” says Kristen Heaton, public health inspector.

Health Canada has already established three areas in the region with established black-legged deer tick populations - Turkey Point, Rondeau Provincial Park and Point Pelee.

The health unit is casting a wider net to see if more areas in Essex County are affected.

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  The blacklegged tick, I. pacificus, depicted here, is a known vector for the zoonotic spirochetal bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is the pathogen responsible for causing Lyme disease. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)