Huron Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson has tabled a Motion in the Ontario Legislature calling for improved data collection and surveillance for black-legged ticks, which carry Lyme disease.
Thompson says tick populations are spreading, so enhanced and updated data strategies must be a priority.
She says the residents deserve the most effective up-to-date tools to identify the risk.
She says the government needs to take action before next season to prevent as many cases as possible and ensure new cases are treated property.
Health Canada predicts by 2020, 80% of the population of Eastern Canada including Ontario will be living in regions with established populations of black-legged ticks.
Ontario saw an unprecedented 708 reported cases of Lyme disease in 2017, not including cases that are undetected and misdiagnosed.
Thompson adds that current maps of the estimated risk areas for Lyme disease are quickly out of date. She says a new government APP used in France allows people to report tick bites to better track hot spots.
And a Quebec student recently developed an APP that can identify the type of tick by taking a photo.
Black-legged ticks are the main carrier of Lyme disease and can travel on migratory birds, easily spreading to new regions every year.