Public health officials in the Monteregie region are warning residents and visitors to be wary of ticks after a jump in the number of Lyme Disease cases.
Officials said that there 56 reported cases of the illness in 2016 but that the number increased to 102 in 2017.
While the vast majority of cases were successfully treated, public health officials warned that some cases may have gone unreported. They added that given the size of the region, it’s impossible to eradicate all lyme-infected ticks and that areas have been classified as low, medium and high risk.
To minimize chances of contracting the disease, doctors recommended dressing appropriately while doing outdoor activities, using bug spray and taking showers upon returning home. If a tick is spotted, it’s advised to carefully remove them with tweezers as infection can become more likely if the tick isn’t removed within 24 hours.
Francois Milord, a doctor specializing in tick-related diseases who works with the Monteregie Health Board, said if symptoms are present and exposure to a tick was possible, the disease can be easy to diagnose.
“We insist that for the first manifestations of the disease that occur in the first month, it can be diagnosed clinically. There’s no test needed, you have to understand what the symptoms are and look for exposure to ticks. If you have this, you make the diagnosis and give treatment.”
