Lyme Disease

Bud Ivey CPHI(C)March 20 2014

Lyme Disease • First identified in 1975 in

a group of arthritis patients in Lyme, Connecticut

• 1978 it was found to be tick related

• 1981 Borrelia burgdorferi was identified as the main cause of Lyme disease

Where is it Found?

Where is it Found?• Lyme disease is the most common tick

related illness in the Northern Hemisphere

• Ticks able to carry Lyme disease are spreading into Canada at a rate of 46 km/year, caused by global warming

• Within HKPR we have a known hot spot located at Presqu’ile Provincial Park in Brighton

Presqu’ile & Sandbanks Provincial Parks

Who is at risk of infection?

• Anyone can get bitten by a tick

• Often people frequenting wooded and rural areas

• Common for hikers, hunters, birders, dog walkers etc.

How can I get Lyme disease?

• Caused by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick

• Most commonly found in fields and forested areas

• Ticks like to attach to the body in warm protected areas ie: groin, armpits, scalp

What do ticks look like?

What does HKPR do with ticks?

When a tick is brought into HKPR:

• PHIs take the tick and victim info to send for testing

• Ticks sent to Peterborough Public Health lab to determine type (1-2 weeks avg.)

• If specimen is a deer tick the lab sends the tick to Winnipeg for Lyme testing (additional 2-6 weeks)

Managing • Deer ticks acquire Lyme

disease pathogens from rodents, not from deer

However

• Controlling the deer population also controls the deer tick population as they need the deer for reproductive success

Preventing Exposure• Light colored clothing (easier to spot ticks)

• Wear long pants and sleeves

• Wear closed toed footwear

• Tuck your pants into socks

• Use insect repellant with DEET

• Put a tick and flea collar on your pet

• Thorough check of your body after being in tick habitat

• Prompt removal, usually requires >24 hours to transmit

• Using tweezers gently grab tick close to skin and pull straight out

• Do not squeeze the tick as it can cause release of Lyme disease agent

What do I do if I get bit?

• Place the tick in a container and see your doctor

• Bring the tick to either your doctor or health unit

• Cleanse bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water

What do I do if I get bit?

How do I know if there is a problem?

1st Stage

Fever, chills, joint pain, headache, fatigue

Bull’s eye rash called Erythema Chronicum Migrans may appear 3 to 30 days after bite

Public Health Agency of Canada

How do I know if there is a problem?

2nd Stage

Nervous system damage

Central – meningitis

Peripheral – facial nerve paralysis

Can last up to several months

How do I know if there is a problem?

3rd Stage

Lasts months to years if untreated causing arthritis and neurological symptoms

• Pets are also a great mode of transmission for ticks

• Ticks can grab on fur while in long grass, dense bush

• Ticks can fall from trees on to animals

Lyme Disease and Pets

• Animals bring the ticks home

• Always check animals for ticks when returning from tick infested areas

Lyme Disease and Pets

Questions?