Public Health Notice: Lyme Disease
(firmenpresse) - OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 07/30/13 -- Editors Note: There are two photos associated with this press release.
Why you should take note
is a serious illness spread by the bite of certain ticks; specifically, blacklegged ticks. Ticks are small, insect-like parasites that feed on the blood of animals, including humans. In regions where blacklegged ticks are found, people can come into contact with ticks by brushing against vegetation while participating in outdoor activities, such as, hiking, camping and gardening. When a tick bites, it attaches to the skin and the bite is usually painless. For most Canadians, the risk of getting Lyme disease is fairly low, but is increasing.
Risk to Canadians
The Public Health Agency of Canada, in partnership with provincial and territorial public health authorities, conducts surveillance for Lyme disease in Canada and studies show the risk of the disease is growing in this country. Risk occurs in parts of Manitoba, Ontario, southern Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and southern British Columbia, and is increasing in south eastern and south central Canada due to spread of populations of the ticks that carry the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.
You are most at risk of being exposed to Lyme disease in the regions listed above where blacklegged and western blacklegged ticks are found. But migratory birds can also carry these ticks to other parts of Canada. Current research tells us that blacklegged ticks may be establishing themselves in new areas that are not identified yet. This may mean that risk of Lyme disease may occur over broader regions of Canada than we are presently aware of.
Although blacklegged ticks can be active throughout much of the year in some locations, your risk of acquiring Lyme disease, especially in areas where tick populations are established, is greatest during the summer months when younger ticks are most active.
Lyme disease is much more common in the United States than in Canada, with risk areas in the Midwest and northeastern states. In 2011, approximately 35,000 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the United States compared to approximately 258 cases in Canada for the same year.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Lyme disease usually happen in three stages, although not everyone will experience every symptom:
Diagnosis and Treatment
As Lyme disease symptoms can mimic those of other illnesses, diagnosing it correctly usually involves:
Blood tests may be negative in patients with early Lyme disease or in patients who have had antibiotic treatment. All laboratory tests have a margin of error which is why Lyme disease should be diagnosed by a doctor clinically first and foremost. Laboratory testing can be used as supportive evidence.
Canadian laboratory diagnostic guidelines for Lyme disease are consistent with those followed by public health authorities in the United States and Europe and meet international standards. Public health professionals in these countries have concerns regarding laboratories that may not be using properly validated tests or criteria for interpreting test results. Canadians are advised to practice caution; by using these unvalidated methods, patients who don't have Lyme disease may test positive and they may end up receiving potentially harmful treatments.
Lyme disease can usually be treated effectively with antibiotics. A rapid recovery is more likely when treatment begins in the early stages of the disease.
How to protect yourself
Canadians are encouraged to spend time outdoors, be active and to remember to protect themselves against tick bites and Lyme disease by following these simple measures:
If a blacklegged tick bite occurs:
What the Public Health Agency of Canada is doing
The Public Health Agency of Canada is committed to working with provincial health authorities and other partners to address the risks to Canadians posed by Lyme disease through a number of activities:
Additional information
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To view the photos associated with this press release, please visit the following links:
Contacts:
Public Health Agency of Canada
Media Relations
(613) 957-2983
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Unternehmensinformation / Kurzprofil:
Datum: 30.07.2013 - 08:30 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 1250059
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OTTAWA, ONTARIO
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Kategorie:
National
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