Lifestyle
Climate change driving rise in tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease
A warming climate is driving a rise in Lyme disease and the introduction of lesser-known tick-borne diseases, public health specialists say.
“Climate change in Canada is happening at a much more accelerated rate than we see in parts of the rest of the world,” said Heather Coatsworth, chief of field studies at the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg.
“Ticks, which are eight-legged organisms, but general bugs, all require a certain amount of heat and humidity to complete their life cycle,” she said.
Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia continue to be the hot spots for blacklegged ticks, which can carry bacteria, parasites and viruses that cause disease in humans — but the changing climate is allowing the tick population to grow in other parts of the country, including Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Coatsworth said.
Janet Sperling, a scientist who specializes in bugs and the president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, said that means increased awareness of tick-borne illnesses is needed not only among the public, but among primary-care providers and infectious disease specialists.
“A lot of doctors have been told — this was their training — ‘you can’t get Lyme disease in Alberta; if you don’t have a travel history don’t worry about it,’” said Sperling, who lives in Edmonton.
“There’s no doubt that it has changed and the education hasn’t caught up with some of the doctors,” she said.
The rise in tick-borne disease doesn’t mean you should stay inside, experts agree. But you can protect yourself. Here’s what to know about the illnesses and how to safely enjoy the summer weather.
How common is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease has been on the rise in Canada and the United States for several years. When provincial public health units started monitoring it in 2009, they reported 144 cases across the country. The preliminary case count for 2024 is 5,239, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The real number is likely higher because many people may have had very general symptoms and never got a diagnosis, Coatsworth said.
“There’s estimates that if things keep going the way they are and climate change keeps going the way things go, that in 25 years we’d have about half a million cases of Lyme disease here in Canada,” she said.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
Lyme disease can feel like many other illnesses and may bring on fever, chills, fatigue, headache, swollen lymph nodes and/or muscle and joint aches.
One telltale sign of Lyme disease is a rash that looks like a bull’s eye, a target or that is circular or oval-shaped.
But Coatsworth cautions that about 30 per cent of people who are infected never get a rash, so a Lyme disease diagnosis shouldn’t be ruled out if people have other symptoms.
What are some other tick-borne diseases?
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In the last couple of years, some provinces have started monitoring three other diseases spread by blacklegged ticks: anaplasmosis, babesiosis and Powassan virus.
Of those, anaplasmosis — although still rare — seems to be growing the fastest, said Coatsworth: “It’s kind of the new kid on the block.”
When public health officials first started monitoring it around 2012, there were about 10 to 50 cases per year in Canada.
There were more than 700 cases of anaplasmosis reported last year, Coatsworth said.
“It’s really picking up speed within the population.”
The symptoms of anaplasmosis can be similar to Lyme disease, without a rash. They can also include cough, diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Babesiosis can also cause similar symptoms to Lyme disease without a rash, but it often causes anemia as well, Coatsworth said.
Powassan virus can cause fever, chills, headache, vomiting and general weakness but it often progresses to serious neurological symptoms, such as encephalitis (brain swelling) and meningitis.
Can these diseases be treated?
Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are both caused by bacteria and can be treated with antibiotics, usually starting with doxycycline, said Coatsworth.
Babesiosis is caused by a parasite and is similar to malaria, she said. It can be treated with anti-parasitic medications.
There is no treatment for Powassan virus. Patients are treated with supportive care, which can include intravenous fluids, medications to reduce brain swelling and respiratory assistance.
What kind of ticks carry these dieases?
Two types of blacklegged ticks carry these diseases: Ixodes scapularis, also called a deer tick, is found in several parts of Canada, especially Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia. In parts of British Columbia, the dominant tick is Ixodes pacificus, also known as the western blacklegged tick.
Ticks feed on the blood of deer, mice, rabbits and other mammals, as well as birds and reptiles. Birds can carry the ticks long distances, so they can be transported to different parts of Canada. The ticks get infected if the host animal is infected, and they in turn transmit the disease to humans when they bite them and latch on.
What do the ticks look like?
“A lot of people are very surprised when I show them a blacklegged tick. They can’t believe how small they are,” said Dr. Curtis Russell, a vector-borne disease specialist at Public Health Ontario.
An adult tick that isn’t full of blood is about the size of a sesame seed. A younger tick is about the size of a poppyseed.
Where are the ticks found?
Ticks are found in wooded and grassy areas, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
That includes forests, parks and hiking trails, but ticks can also live in more populated areas, Coatsworth said.
“(It’s) a lot about the animals that exist in those environments. So a lot of those are peri-urban spaces … kind of those in-between spaces that now have become just maybe your local neighbourhood park where there’s a lot more squirrels. Small rodents and white-tailed deer, especially, have really contributed to sustaining the populations of ticks.”
How do I prevent tick bites?
Preventing tick bites is similar to repelling mosquitoes, said Dr. Mayank Singal, a public health physician with the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Wearing long sleeves, long pants and using bug spray are all important measures. Choosing light-coloured clothing is best because it’s easier to spot a tick when it lands.
Singal also encourages “trying to not come in contact with foliage and bushes, because that’s typically how they will latch on.”
Russell said that means when hiking, stay in the middle of the trail.
After outdoor activities, do a full-body tick check, including parts of the body that weren’t exposed. Russell suggested taking a bath or a shower.
“You can check all your areas where the ticks might have been and if they haven’t bit you yet … they can maybe wash off,” Russell said.
“They usually crawl around … before they bite and they usually tend to bite your hairline, your armpits, the back of your legs, your groin area.”
Russell also recommends washing your clothes and putting them in the dryer, where the high heat will kill ticks.
If I find a tick, should I remove it?
Yes. Do it with tweezers as soon as possible, experts agree.
A tick will embed its mouth in the skin as with the legs sticking out and it’s important to remove the whole tick.
“You want to grab it as close to the skin edge as possible, squeeze the tweezers … and grab the tick and then pull it straight up,” said Singal.
“We don’t want to twist, we don’t want to go left and right. Just pull it straight up so that we get all of it out as much as possible.”
It generally takes about 24 hours for the tick to transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis or babesiosis while it’s latched on.
Powassan virus can be transmitted as quickly as 15 minutes after attachment, but very few ticks currently carry the virus, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
Then what?
People can take a photo of the tick and submit it to etick.ca, along with information about where you were when you think it bit you. The service, run by several universities and public health agencies, will tell you what kind of tick it is and how much tick-borne disease risk there is in the area.
If you had a tick on you and begin to develop any symptoms, see your health-care provider and let them know you were possibly exposed to tick-borne illness, Russell said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.
Mattel is aiming to expand on inclusivity by introducing a new Barbie with Type 1 diabetes.
In an announcement Tuesday, Mattel said it had partnered with Breakthrough T1D — a Type 1 diabetes research and advocacy organization formerly known as the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation — to ensure that the design of the doll “truly captures the community.”
That includes accessories that “accurately reflect the medical equipment” people with Type 1 diabetes may need, the California-based company said.
The new Barbie wears a continuous glucose monitor on her arm, which is a device used to track blood sugar levels. She is also holding a phone displaying an accompanying app for the CGM and has an insulin pump attached to her waist.
The doll carries a blue purse that can be used to hold other essential supplies or snacks on the go. Her fashion choice is also notable — she sports a blue polka dot style, which is a nod to the global symbols for diabetes awareness.
This new doll “enables more children to see themselves reflected in Barbie,” Mattel wrote Tuesday, and is part of the company’s wider Fashionistas line committed to inclusivity.
“Introducing a Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” said Krista Berger, senior vice-president of Barbie and global head of dolls.
“Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”
Emily Mazreku, director of marketing strategy at Breakthrough T1D, added that “visibility matters for everyone facing Type 1 diabetes.”
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And as a mother who lives with Type 1 diabetes, Mazreku added, “it means everything to have Barbie helping the world see T1D and the incredible people who live with it.”
Supermodel Kate Moss’s daughter Lila was honoured with her own one-of-a-kind doll.
Lila, 22, has been very open about her diabetes diagnosis and shared her excitement for the launch of the new doll.
“Honoured to have a one-of-a kind Type 1 diabetic Barbie version of me to celebrate the launch of the first T1D Barbie,” she wrote on Instagram.
“This has been such a special project to be a part of, I hope this can encourage anyone living with Type 1 to not be afraid of wearing their pump proudly and that it helps to raise awareness on why we have them and what they do for us.”
According to Diabetes Canada, Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas does not produce any insulin. Insulin is an important hormone that helps your body control the level of glucose (sugar) in your blood.
Diabetes Canada says Type 1 diabetes generally develops in childhood or adolescence, but can also develop in adulthood. People with Type 1 need to inject insulin or use an insulin pump to ensure their bodies have the right amount of insulin.
Breakthrough T1D Canada estimated that around 300,000 people were living with Type 1 diabetes in Canada in 2022 and suggested that the number was growing by 4.4 per cent each year.
Barbie’s new doll with Type 1 diabetes was also introduced at Breakthrough T1D’s 2025 Children’s Congress held in Washington, D.C., this week, where the organization is advocating for continued federal research funding.
Mattel has previously introduced other dolls to the Fashionistas line, including its first doll with Down syndrome in 2023.
The company worked with the National Down Syndrome Society in the United States to make the doll, which has a shorter frame and longer torso than its other Barbies.
Doll maker Mattel has released a new Barbie with Down syndrome.
Handout / Mattel
The doll’s face is also a rounder shape, and has almond-shaped eyes, smaller ears and a flat nasal bridge, Mattel said.
“The doll’s palms even include a single line, a characteristic often associated with those with Down’s syndrome,” Mattel said.
— With files from The Associated Press and Reuters
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
Anyone who works Monday to Friday and is keen for a long weekend this Canada Day has likely had to do a bit of calendar juggling to cope with the ill-timed holiday.
The stat day falls on a Tuesday this year, forcing many to work an odd Monday squeezed between days off, unless they burn a vacation day to eliminate the wonky schedule.
Some startup companies say they’re calling Monday a wash and giving staff a paid day off in order to smooth out the mid-week quirk and create a long weekend.
It might not make sense on paper, said Klarify founder Moody Abdul, but he said he believes in prioritizing employee happiness.
“It’s that, ‘if I take care of you, you’ll take care of us’ kind of mentality,” Abdul said.
Connecting the Canada Day holiday to the preceding weekend is just one way to demonstrate worker appreciation, said Abdul, whose company provides AI-driven note-taking and administrative tools to therapists.
For those in Quebec, it’s the second holiday Tuesday in a row, after Saint-Jean Baptiste Day on June 24 forced many Fête nationale celebrants to grapple with their own odd workweek.
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But with Canada Day following so close behind, it’s not uncommon for Quebecers to take the whole week off between the two holidays, much the way many treat the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s.
Of course not every employer can offer such accommodations, and full-time workers with less shift leeway will have to choose to take a vacation day or just make do with an odd schedule next week.
Ani Siddique, a research assistant at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, said he asked far in advance for Monday off in order to get ahead of colleagues with the same idea.
“I had to ask for it but I planned for things one or two months in advance,” he said.
Morad Affifi, who sat in a downtown park after a shift Friday, said the majority of his planned Canada Day festivities take place over the weekend but he, too, dipped into his vacation bank to avoid working Monday.
Suze Mason, co-founder of the digital health platform Sprout Family, said her five staff members have the Monday off and she didn’t expect the move to have much of an operational impact on her company.
Sprout Family helps co-ordinate fertility care through workplace benefits programs. She said many of its clients, including larger Canadian organizations, plan to treat Monday like a holiday.
“It felt like it was the right business decision to give our employees a day to rest and recharge, while also not having as much of a direct impact on the business,” Mason said.
Mason said extending the holiday to match that of the companies Sprout Family works with can also make it easier for staff to disconnect, knowing they aren’t missing out on anything crucial.
“Sometimes when you’re on vacation and the business is racing ahead without you, it can feel stressful,” she said.
Vineet Johnson, founder and CEO of IRegained, said he’s made it a recurring practice to bridge awkward gaps between days off when they occur.
Johnson, whose company develops neuro-rehabilitation devices, said he did the same last December when Boxing Day fell on a Thursday and otherwise would have forced people to return to work for just one day before the weekend.
“It’s an easy incentive, a no-brainer incentive,” said Johnson.
-With files from Natasha Baldin in Toronto.
To some, they’re quirky and cute. Others find their pointed fangs and vaguely sinister smiles unsettling. But no matter where your opinion on Labubu dolls lands, there’s no denying the grip these figurines have on the world right now.
Labubu dolls, both a sartorial accessory and hot collectible, have taken both the fashion and pop culture worlds by storm. The fluffy, sharp-toothed elves have quickly turned into one of the world’s most valuable toys, fetching sky-high prices and triggering in-store fights as customers line up to get their hands on one.
Zufi Alexander wears an all Miu Miu look made of butter yellow long summer dress and straw Miu Miu bag with attached Labubu bag charms during day five of the 78th Cannes Film Festival on May 17, 2025 in Cannes, France.
Raimonda Kulikauskiene/Getty Images
But these little monsters are hardly an overnight success. Although they’ve only recently cemented their place in the top echelons of the collectible toy market, their story dates back a decade.
Here’s what to know about the origins of the Labubu, what’s driving the pandemonium and just how far fans are willing to go to get their hands on one.
Labubu dolls on display at a Pop Mart International Group Ltd. store in Shanghai, China, on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. Celebrities including Rihanna and BlackPink’s Lisa have been spotted carrying Pop Mart’s toys, making it one of China’s most notable consumer brands to gain popularity globally.
Raul Ariano/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A decade in the making
While the demand for Labubu currently rests in the toy and luxury markets, the character first appeared in a series of children’s picture books by artist and illustration Kasing Lung in 2015. The Monsters, inspired by Nordic mythology, featured a playful tribe of female elves known as Labubus.
At their core, the 100 different Labubus featured in the books are friendly and eager-to-help, although their good intentions sometimes sow chaos.
Lung released a series of Labubu toys shortly after his trilogy came out, but it wasn’t until he teamed up with Chinese toy company Pop Mart in 2019 that the global craze began to take shape.
Enter the ‘blind-box’
Pop Mart, capitalizing on a relatively new type of children’s toy – the so-called “blind box” – launched a series of Labubu dolls obscured by packaging, meaning the exact figurine was a surprise until the customer opened the box.
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According to Pop Mart, the revenue generated from the first Labubu series launch “broke the sales record in the art toy category.”
While the element of surprise in certainly a draw for many, so, too, is the chance to unbox one of the line’s rare “secret” dolls.
Since that fateful initial launch, Labubu toys have slowly picked up steam — that is, until 2024, when they exploded in popularity and pushed customers, scrambling to get their hands on one, to the brink both financially and mentally.
In the past year, the Labubu hasn’t become just another collectible figurine. They are now heralded as luxury’s answer to the Beanie Baby.
While the Beanie Babies craze in the 1990s saw customers lining up outside stores, buying plastic tag protectors, hoarding and, to some, collecting an asset they believed would eventually boost their retirement funds, those small, plush collectibles had a retail cap of around five dollars at initial sale.
At its peak, notes The Street, Beanie Babies were a US$1.4 billion phenomenon. That valuation feels quaint when you consider that the Labubu has helped Pop Mart’s valuation to $38 billion — higher than toy heavy hitters Mattel, Hasbro and Sanrio combined.
Social media and celebrity fuel the fire
Part of the force driving the Labubu phenomenon is celebrity and social media working in tandem to make the toy a status symbol and viral luxury flex. Influencers are working in overdrive, showcasing Labubu unboxing videos, while Hollywood’s elite are clipping the dolls onto their high-end handbags.
David Beckham, Rihanna, Dua Lipa and Blackpink’s Lisa have been spotted showing off their Labubu collections.
Cher arrives to the “My Mom Jayne: A Film By Mariska Hargitay” premiere during the 2025 Tribeca Festival at Carnegie Hall on June 13, 2025 in New York City.
Gilbert Carrasquillo / GC Images
Cher, too, was seen with one at a recent film festival appearance. At a recent auction, a collaboration involving Pharrell Williams, the K-pop group Seventeen and the Japanese fashion brand Sacai, a designer special edition Labubu sold for $31,250, setting a record for the highest-selling Labubu at auction.
Last week, the cast of the upcoming movie F1, including Brad Pitt, were filmed pulling Labubus from blind boxes, and Lizzo made headlines this week for throwing out the first pitch at a Los Angeles Dodgers game in high heels and a Prada Labubu keychain swinging from her waistband.
“The character has evolved into a collectible and style symbol, resonating with fans who connect with its quirky aesthetic and unique backstory,” Emily Brough, Popmart’s head of IP licensing in the Americas, told The Associated Press.
More than 300 styles of Labubu (often with high-end partnerships and collaborations with companies like Uniqlo and Coco-Cola), limited editions released around holidays and dolls only released in certain countries, means that some dolls have reached the same collector tier as Birkin handbags or collectible sneakers, fetching thousands of dollars on resale sites.
Meanwhile, a secondary market for Labubu merchandise has also popped up, with fast fashion retailers and small business owners now scrambling to sell off-brand clothing and accessories for Labubu dolls.
The rise of the ‘Lafufu’
Getting your hands on an authentic Labubu is deceptively difficult. While the standard blind-box models are pretty accessible in terms of price, ranging anywhere from about $35 to $130, they often sell out in seconds, just to reemerge on resale sites for five times the price, or more.
Pop Mart’s online store releases a Labubu drop every Thursday morning and in stores the following day, but long online queues and no physical Pop Mart stores in Canada mean lots of disappointed fans miss out each week. Of course, there are always other retailers, like toy stores and Amazon, but reports indicate that those retailers are just as overwhelmed by wannabe Labubu owners and sell out almost immediately after a restock.
Like all things trendy, there are many retailers looking to cash in on the Labubu craze and, increasingly, knock-offs called “Lafufus” are flooding the market. In fact, Lafufus have created their own niche fandom around the world, with many obsessed with these “knock-off cousins.”
Of course, if you decide to dip into the Lafufu market, it’s buyer beware: these counterfeit monsters are often cheaply made, their features distorted, twisted or misprinted — or sometimes non-existent.
As one Lafufu customer told Business Insider: “My Lafufu came without eyes, so I had to superglue them on, but it still turned out really cute.”
Another Lafufu customer told the outlet that after ordering one ugly, misprinted Lafufu, she went back for more. The unsettling knock-off, she said, was part of the appeal.
“The fake Labubu offers a different serotonin rush than getting an original. It’s like, how ugly can it get?” she confessed.
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