The Alberta government is warning people to take extra care of themselves and their pets after a number of Lyme disease-carrying ticks were found in the province.
Alberta Health and Wellness issued the warning Tuesday, saying it has found at least five ticks this summer that tested positive for Borellia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. Those insects were found on four dogs and one cat.
While there have been no human cases reported this year and there have been none since 2008, health officials still want the public to be vigilant.
“It’s still an unusual finding in Alberta,” said Dr. Andre Corriveau, chief medical officer of health for Alberta Health Services, “but I guess what I wanted to notify people of is that it’s not impossible to get bitten by infected ticks in Alberta.”
In 2010, the bacterium was detected in 13 ticks that were submitted for testing from across Alberta.
Lyme disease — named after the town in Connecticut where the first human outbreak occurred in 1975 — can be quite debilitating, causing fever, chills, headaches, fatigue and swollen lymph glands in the short term, and neurological or muscular problems further down the road.
The most obvious indicator is a rash in the shape of a bull’s-eye that develops around the area between three and 30 days after the bite occurs.
More serious cases can lead to heart problems, recurrent meningitis and arthritis.
The biggest step people can take to prevent themselves and their pets from contracting the disease, Corriveau added, is to keep their eyes peeled.
“When they’re gorged with blood, they don’t look like a tick anymore. They just look like a lump attached to your skin,” he said, noting that ticks climb to the tips of plants or tall grasses to hitch a ride on people or pets. “You can feel them very easily.”
Alberta Health and Wellness reports there were 20 human cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in the province between 1989 and 2008. Advocates for Lyme sufferers say that number is actually higher.
Janet Sperling is an Edmonton resident and a member of the board of directors for the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. She said that, according to peer-reviewed literature, Lyme disease has been in the province since 1994.
“We’re not surprised in the slightest,” she said of the foundation’s reaction to the news of bacteria-carrying ticks being found. “We’re just glad that finally somebody’s looking.”
Sperling said the foundation believes Lyme disease is underreported and misdiagnosed in Canada, mainly due to testing methods.
She said some Albertans contract the disease overseas, usually in Europe, then are misdiagnosed when they return home.
“They come back to Canada and feel like they’ve got the world’s worst flu and a weird rash. But the doctor says, ‘Don’t worry, we don’t have Lyme disease in Alberta.’ But they say, ‘I didn’t get it in Alberta,’” Sperling said, adding that not everyone who gets Lyme disease develops the telltale bull’s-eye rash. “But [the doctors] say, ‘Don’t worry about it; you’re fine.’ But they get sicker and sicker. We get this fairly commonly. If you go to Europe, the blood test in Canada doesn’t pick up the strains found in Europe.”
But Corriveau said awareness is growing in the province and he is working hard to continue that trend.
“As a rare disease, it may not be the first thing physicians think about, but part of my responsibility is make sure not just the general public, but physicians also are aware that we have ticks infected with Lyme bacteria that have been discovered. We’re improving our system as we speak,” he said.
Anyone who finds a tick on their pet should contact their veterinarian so it can be identified and collected for testing.
For more information on Lyme disease, visit myhealth.alberta.ca or topdoc.alberta.ca. Anyone who suspects they have Lyme disease should contact HealthLink Alberta at 780-408-LINK (5465). To learn more about the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, visit www.canlyme.com.
Questions and answers about Lyme disease
Q: What is Lyme disease and how is it transmitted?
A: Lyme disease is a debilitating disease that can affect people, wildlife and domestic animals. Infection of humans with Lyme disease normally occurs during the summer months from May to August after a bite from a tick infected with Lyme-causing bacteria.
Ticks on migrating birds may also carry the bacteria and some common bird species are potential hosts for Lyme bacteria. The disease is named after Lyme, Conn., where the first human outbreak in North America was recognized in 1975.
Q: Can Lyme disease be treated?
A: Individuals treated with doxycycline or amoxicillin in the early stages of infection usually recover completely. Those diagnosed and treated in later stages may have persistent or recurrent symptoms.
Q: What if I find a tick embedded in my skin?
A: Use tweezers to gently remove the part of the tick sticking into your skin. Apply steady pressure to pull the tick straight out without twisting or jerking it. Do not squash the tick, as it may inject the bacteria directly into your skin. Check the bite area for at least two weeks. If a red rash appears or other symptoms develop, seek medical attention.
Q: What if I find a tick embedded in my pet?
A: If you find a tick on your pet, contact your local veterinarian so the tick can be identified and collected for testing. The veterinarian can provide advice on how to remove it and prescribe treatment for the pet if it is necessary.
Q: How can I avoid Lyme disease?
A: Use insect repellent containing DEET, and cover up as much as possible when walking in tall grass, brush or woods where ticks may be found. Wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, long socks, enclosed shoes or boots and a hat. Wear light colours, as ticks are dark and easier to see against a light background. Some ticks can be as small as a pin-head or freckle. Remove clothes and check your body thoroughly for ticks after being outdoors.
Insect repellents containing DEET are not recommended for pets.
Regularly check pets and children after they have been outside. Carefully remove any ticks you find on children and call your veterinarian if you find any on your pet.
SOURCE: Alberta Health and Wellness
