Mini Med #16 - Lyme Disease

Happy Summer! I hope after a particularly difficult winter everyone is getting out and enjoying the beautiful outdoors. This presents a great opportunity to have a quick review of Lyme disease and how to keep you and your family safe when out and about this summer.

What is Lyme Disease:

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection (Borrelia burgdorferi) that is transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected blacklegged (Deer) tick. With warming climate, the blacklegged ticks have rapidly moved into Ontario over the past two decades. Ottawa Valley is now considered an endemic region for blacklegged ticks and hence a high-risk exposure area for Lyme disease.

Prevention:

Avoiding tick bites is the best defence against Lyme disease. Avoid tall grass and stick to established hiking/walking paths as much as possible. Pant-tucking into socks, DEET based insect repellent, and permethrin treated clothing are some of the best ways to avoid tick bites. After outdoor activities, check yourself and your kids, and know where to look: behind the ears, collarbone, armpit, waistband, gluteal cleft, behind the knee, sock-band, even genitalia.

What to do if you discover an attached tick?

Simply remove with a tweezer by grabbing the tick as close to the skin as possible by pulling it straight out. Do not be alarmed if any mouthparts remain in the skin as this is quite common and poses no concerns.

If you are sure the tick was attached for less than 24 hours, then there is no concern for Lyme transmission and no further follow up is required.

If you believe the tick was attached for more than 24 hours, then you should contact the clinic to see if you might benefit from a dose of antibiotics to reduce your chances of acquiring Lyme Disease.

Enjoy the summer and keep it healthy!

Dr. Matin