The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit has started searching for ticks.
Crews dressed in white, dragged white cloths across the grass at the Ojibway Nature Centre Tuesday looking for ticks, particularly the black-legged tick which spreads Lyme Disease.
In the past couple of years, about 350 ticks have been found. 30 of them were black-legged ticks and two to three have tested positive for Lyme disease.
Health Unit Inspector Phil Wong says finding a tick isn't a concern, but a black-legged tick needs to be tested.
"Once they are identified as black-legged ticks what we do is we send them off to an accredited laboratory to get tested for Lyme disease," he says.
The majority of the ticks found are dog ticks, which don't spread Lyme disease.
Given the weather and wildlife in Windsor-Essex, Wong says this area is at risk.
"Public Health Ontario, they receive all of our data every years, they also receive data from the other health units across Ontario and create risk maps. This year's risk maps that were released actually shows that a majority of Windsor-Essex is a higher risk of black-legged ticks."
Windsor-Essex County Health Unit begins tick surveillance at the Ojibway Nature Centre. May 14, 2019 (Photo by AM800's Teresinha Medeiros)
Wong is encouraging people to still enjoy the outdoors, but be careful.
"No way are we saying to avoid going on our beautiful parks and trails and all that within Windsor and Essex County, but having the knowledge and knowing that they are there and checking your body after you enjoy using the trails, is very important to make sure you don't have a tick on you."
He suggests people stay on the paths and avoid walking in tall grass, wear light coloured clothing and check your body to see if there is a tick on you.
Symptoms of Lyme Disease include a fever, headache, muscle and joint pains as well as a skin rash that looks like a red bull's eye.
If someone finds a tick on them, they should remove it with tweezers and bring it to the health unit for testing.