While the first case of anaplasmosis in Ontario was detected in 2018, there were 40 cases of the potentially life-threatening illness in 2023
As the black-legged tick population continues to grow in southern Ontario, reports of both Lyme disease and lesser-known anaplasmosis are increasing.
Both illnesses are being closely monitored by public health officials in Ontario, while other tick-borne illnesses, including babesiosis, a bacterial infection, and Powassan virus, a rare disease that causes encephalitis and severe illness, are also cause for concern.
All three conditions were added to the province’s Health Protection and Promotion Act last July, and noted as diseases of public health significance. Here’s what to know.
Anaplasmosis is caused by the bacteria Anaplasma phagocytophilum. Symptoms can include fever, severe headache, muscle aches, fatigue, nausea, cough and confusion.
Spread by black-legged ticks, it infects white blood cells in both animals and humans. Like Lyme disease, it is treated with antibiotics.
Black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are often found in wooded and forested areas, especially areas with thick underbrush. They are also commonly found in tall grasses, including along trails and in fields, and areas with accumulated dead leaves.
While the first case of anaplasmosis in Ontario was detected in 2018, there were 40 cases in 2023.
Eastern Ontario, in particular, is a hot spot for tick-borne illnesses. More generally, risk is highest in areas with established vector populations — the ticks that are capable of carrying and transmitting pathogens. This includes southwestern and northwestern Ontario, southern Quebec, southern Manitoba and Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Infection can occur at any time of year, but is more common in the warmer months, from April to September.
Symptoms generally appear a week or two weeks after the bite.
Ticks need about 12 to 24 hours to spread the bacteria that causes anaplasmosis, compared to at least 24 hours for Lyme disease.
While Lyme disease is marked by a circular rash, there is generally no rash with anaplasmosis.
Covering up is one of the best preventive measures, including tucking pants into socks, as well as applying insect repellent that contains DEET.
If you find a tick, use clean tweezers to grasp the head as close to the skin as possible and pull the tick straight out with slow and steady pressure. Twisting or squeezing the tick can increase the chance of catching a tick-borne infection as the tick will expel its stomach contents.
It is recommended to report tick bites and submit ticks to public health authorities so they can track populations and the spread of disease.
Online tools and mobile apps like eTick.ca can also be used to help identify the tick.
Shopping season for Medicare coverage is about to begin. With it comes the annual onslaught of TV ads and choices to consider.
People eligible for the federal government’s Medicare program will have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to sign up for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans, which are privately run versions of the program. They also can add a prescription drug plan to traditional Medicare coverage.
Many people on Medicare Advantage plans will probably have to find new coverage as major insurers cut costs and pull back from markets. Industry experts also predict some price increases for Medicare prescription drug plans.
Shoppers often have dozens of options during this sign-up period. Here are some things to consider.
Don’t put off shopping for Medicare coverage
Start thinking about next year’s coverage before the annual enrollment window begins. Insurers will usually preview their offerings or let customers know about any big changes. That makes anything arriving in the mail from your insurer important to read.
Insurance agents say many people wait until after Thanksgiving to decide coverage plans for the new year. That could be a mistake this year: The holiday falls on Nov. 28, leaving slightly more than a week to decide before the enrollment window closes.
Look beyond the premium
Many Medicare Advantage plans promote a $0 premium. That may sound attractive, but price is only one variable to consider.
Shoppers should look at whether their doctors are in the plan’s coverage network and how prescriptions would be covered. They also should know the maximum amount under the plan that they’d have to pay if a serious health issue emerges.
Plans offer many supplemental benefits, including help paying food or utility bills. Don’t let those distract from understanding the core coverage, said Danielle Roberts, co-founder of the Fort Worth, Texas, insurance agency Boomer Benefits.
“Remember that we buy health insurance for the big things, not the frills,” she said.
How to get help shopping for plans
The federal government operates a plan finder that lets people compare options. The State Health Insurance Assistance Program can be another resource. Insurance brokers or agents also guide customers through searches.
Sometimes a plan’s coverage doesn’t work as expected. If that happens, there’s another enrollment window in the first three-months of each year where some shoppers may be able to make a change.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can once again order COVID-19 tests, without being charged, sent straight to their homes.
The U.S. government reopened the program on Thursday, allowing any household to order up to four at-home COVID nasal swab kits through the website, covidtests.gov. The tests will begin shipping, via the United States Postal Service, as soon as next week.
The website has been reopened on the heels of a summer COVID-19 virus wave and heading into the fall and winter respiratory virus season, with health officials urging Americans to get an updated COVID-19 booster and their yearly flu shot.
“Before you visit with your family and friends this holiday season, take a quick test and help keep them safe from COVID-19,” U.S. Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response Dawn O’Connell said in a statement.
U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that is designed to combat the recent virus strains and, they hope, forthcoming winter ones, too. Vaccine uptake is waning, however. Most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations, but under a quarter of U.S. adults took last fall’s COVID-19 shot.
Using the swab, people can detect current virus strains ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season and the holidays. Over-the-counter COVID-19 at-home tests typically cost around $11, as of last year. Insurers are no longer required to cover the cost of the tests.
Before using any existing at-home COVID-19 tests, you should check the expiration date. Many of the tests have been given an extended expiration from the date listed on the box. You can check on the Food and Drug Administration’s website to see if that’s the case for any of your remaining tests at home.
Since COVID-19 first began its spread in 2020, U.S. taxpayers have poured billions of dollars into developing and purchasing COVID-19 tests as well as vaccines. The Biden administration has given out 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, including half distributed to households by mail. It’s unclear how many tests the government still has on hand.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans can once again order free COVID-19 tests sent straight to their homes.
The U.S. government reopened the program on Thursday, allowing any household to order up to four at-home COVID nasal swab kits through the website, covidtests.gov. The tests will begin shipping, via the United States Postal Service, as soon as next week.
The website has been reopened on the heels of a summer COVID-19 virus wave and heading into the fall and winter respiratory virus season, with health officials urging Americans to get an updated COVID-19 booster and their yearly flu shot.
U.S. regulators approved an updated COVID-19 vaccine that is designed to combat the recent virus strains and, they hope, forthcoming winter ones, too. Vaccine uptake is waning, however. Most Americans have some immunity from prior infections or vaccinations, but under a quarter of U.S. adults took last fall’s COVID-19 shot.
Using the swab, people can detect current virus strains ahead of the fall and winter respiratory virus season and the holidays. Over-the-counter COVID-19 at-home tests typically cost around $11, as of last year. Insurers are no longer required to cover the cost of the tests.
Since COVID-19 first began its spread in 2020, U.S. taxpayers have poured billions of dollars into developing and purchasing COVID-19 tests as well as vaccines. The Biden administration has given out 1.8 billion COVID-19 tests, including half distributed to households by mail. It’s unclear how many tests the government still has on hand.
The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.
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