Lyme disease, caused by a tick infected by bacteria, is more and more present in southern Quebec. To better prevent this disease, TC Media gives you five tips to head it off. As a bonus? An interactive map of some zones at risk!
http://www.granbyexpress.com/PageVolante/7125/Maladie-de-Lyme
The management of public health in the Estrie and the Monteregie indicate that the more a territory is at high risk, the greater the chances are of being stung by a tick and being infected by the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. «The latest facts indicate that about 15% of ticks are carriers of this bacteria», say the public health directorships in a press release.
In spite of an increase in cases of Lyme disease during the past four years, we must continue to benefit from the air outdoors. Dr. Melissa Genereux reminds that playing outside remains one of the best things to do for one’s health.
«We don’t want to scare people, but simply to sensitize them on the fact that the tick is more and more present, Dr. Genereux explains. We have to take that into account, especially on walks in the woods, because the tick likes tall grass.»
Five tips to prevent Lyme disease
To prevent being stung by ticks during an outdoor activity in a wooded area or a forest :
1 -Wear clothes that cover the skin
2 -Put stockings on over your pants
3 -Wear pale-coloured clothing
4 -Apply mosquito spray on your clothes and on the exposed parts of the body while avoiding the face
5. Stay on paths disengaged from forests and wooded areas
And if someone finds a tick on him/herself?
One must proceed with its extraction as quickly as possible, with the help of tweezers or tongs.
«The tick does not bite; it stings. And it stings for a long time. It remains clinging for long periods. A sting can last 72 hours. The transmission of the bacteria is done over time, generally after more than 24 hours», Dr. Patricia Hudson, coordinator of the infectious diseases program at the Monteregie Health and Social Services Agency explained to TC Media last year.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
The symptoms appear in the 30 days following a tick sting :
– Reddening of the skin, painless, more than five centimetres in the place of the sting which gets bigger over a few days or weeks.
– Fever
– Muscular or joint pains
– Fatigue
A treatment for two to three weeks with oral general antibiotics is sufficient to treat the majority of people affected by Lyme disease.
Translated by Dan Rosenburg
