KFL&A Public Health identifies the bacteria that causes Anaplasmosis in Blacklegged ticks in our region

KINGSTON – The bacteria that causes Anaplasmosis, also known as human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA), has been identified in Blacklegged ticks in the Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington region.  Anaplasmosis, is a tick-borne disease transmitted to humans through the bite of a Blacklegged tick, the same tick species that transmits Lyme disease.

In the Fall of 2021, researchers from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa conducted active tick surveillance in Eastern Ontario, including Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox & Addington. They discovered four ticks positive for the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, the bacteria that causes Anaplasmosis, at three different sites across our region.

There is limited data on the number of Anaplasmosis cases that occur each year in Ontario. In 2021, the eastern region of Ontario noted a few people tested positive for the tick-borne pathogen.  There were also additional reports of ten human cases in Quebec. 

While the greatest risk of exposure to a tick is during the spring, summer and early fall months, ticks can be active any time the weather is above freezing. It is important to know that during the spring and early summer months, ticks can be very small (the size of a poppy seed) and once attached, will often go unnoticed. This results in a higher chance of being infected with a tick-borne disease.

“In most cases, those infected with anaplasmosis experience mild and self-limiting symptoms.  Symptoms usually resolve within 30 days, however more severe illness can occur in those who are older, those with a weakened immune system, or those in whom diagnosis and treatment are delayed,” said Joan Black, public health nurse at KFL&A Public Health.  

If you have recently been bit by a tick or have recently visited a wooded or grassy area, monitor for common symptoms of Anaplasmosis, which usually appear within 1-2 weeks and may include:

• Fever
• Severe headache
• Chills
• Muscle aches
• Gastrointestinal symptoms

If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and have been recently bit by a tick or been in tick habitat, please contact your health care provider. 

For more information on ticks, Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, visit our website.

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