While summer is an ideal time to enjoy the outdoors, the season also brings with it an increased risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. The BC Centre for Disease Control is reminding people who spend time in wooded areas or tall grass to take sensible precautions to minimize this risk, especially through the summer months into late fall.
“Although only a few varieties of ticks in B.C. carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, it is very important that British Columbians who spend time in high-risk areas follow the simple steps necessary to prevent getting bitten by ticks and are aware of the symptoms of Lyme disease,” explains Dr. Bonnie Henry, Physician Epidemiologist at BCCDC, an agency of the Provincial Services Health Authority. “Early symptoms may include a ‘bulls-eye’ rash which spreads outward on the skin from the tick bite, as well as fever, headache, and muscle and joint pain.”
Many areas of B.C. are affected by Lyme disease, including Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast, the Fraser Valley, and the Kootenays. BCCDC has been monitoring tick activity since 1993, and the data suggest that the risk of contracting Lyme disease in B.C. remains low, with seven cases reported last year in the province. Three people of the seven were infected while traveling outside of B.C.
“While there is a risk out there, Lyme disease is both preventable and treatable,” says Dr. Muhammad Morshed, Program Head, Zoonotic and Emerging Pathogens with the Public Health Laboratories at BCCDC. “Just a few simple steps can go a long way. You could say it’s a combination of where you walk and play and what you wear when doing so.”
To help prevent tick bites:
- Walk on cleared trails
- Wear a hat
- Wear long sleeves and pants and light-coloured clothing
- Tuck pant legs into socks or boots
- Use an insect repellent containing DEET on exposed skin
After being in an area that may harbour ticks, it’s also important to inspect your clothing and your skin (as well as that of children and pets) for ticks. “If you see a tick, remove it yourself by using tweezers and removing the tick whole and avoiding squeezing its body.” If a tick has buried itself into your skin, go to your family doctor or a walk-in clinic and have it removed immediately,” says Dr. Morshed.
To help educate children and young adults on how to protect themselves from ticks, the BCCDC has partnered with the University of British Columbia to develop Tick Talk, a fun and interactive campaign that includes a Facebook page and animated video.
Ticks are small, biting arachnids (related to scorpions, spiders, and mites) that feed on blood. Typically, ticks lurk on the tips of grasses or shrubs and can be transferred to people or animals as they brush past the vegetation. The ticks in B.C. that can transmit Lyme disease are the Western black-legged tick (Ixodes pacificus) and, more rarely, other Ixodes species such as I. angustus.
Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and was initially identified in Lyme, Connecticut in the 1970s. Currently, Lyme disease is found in parts of North America, Europe, and a few other areas in the world. If left untreated, Lyme disease can affect the joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Most cases of Lyme disease can be successfully treated with a few weeks of antibiotics.
To illustrate how to take precautions, and to provide more information about Lyme disease and the risks posed by ticks, BCCDC produced a brochure that can be accessed at http://www.bccdc.ca/dis-cond/a-z/_l/LymeDisease/educmat/default.htm
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