Experts warn Lyme disease on the rise in Quebec

There has been a steady rise in cases of Lyme disease in Quebec in the past five years, especially in the Montérégie region.

With the summer in full force, experts are advising Quebecers on how to stop infected ticks from biting.

“So, what happens is the tick is infected, but it has to remain attached to you, sucking your blood for at least 36 to 48 hours to be able to transmit that infection to you,” said Dr. Caroline Quach, infectious disease specialist at the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC).

Lyme disease

Initially identified in the 1970s, the first few cases of Lyme disease were reported in Connecticut.

Since then, they’ve been moving north to southern parts of Ontario and Quebec.

“Before 2013, most of the cases were acquired by people who had travelled to northeast U.S. or other parts of the continent,” Quach said.

“But in the past year, in 2015, what we’ve seen is that almost 70 per cent of cases were acquired locally.”

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In 2015, there were 160 cases of Lyme disease reported in the province – a huge spike from the 32 identified in 2011.

READ MORE: Authorities warn of more Lyme disease in Montérégie

Recently, cities and towns like Vaudreuil-Dorion, Rigaud, Île-Perrot and Hudson have all posted warning information on their websites.

Dr. Patricia Hudson of Santé Montérégie said one third of Quebec’s cases are reported within the region.

“In Montérégie , there were 55 cases last year. That was up from the past two years, where we had 40 and 44,” said Hudson.

“Before that, it was much less: we had 10 per year the two years previously. So it’s on the rise and it will continue to rise.”

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According to Hudson, removing a tick can be a fairly simple process.

“You can remove a tick by sliding tweezers right underneath the tick and pulling it out nice and slowly,” she said.

Symptoms can vary depending on the person, but Hudson said watch out for fever, fatigue and red patches on the skin.

“You need to see a doctor and say ‘I have been exposed to ticks’ or ‘I think I may have been exposed to ticks’ and then the doctor can consider Lyme disease in his diagnosis,” she explained.

Health professionals said to help prevent tick bites, it’s important to wear long pants and long sleeve shirts when near or going into wooded areas.

They also recommend spraying yourself with bug repellent and performing a tick check once you’re back indoors.