A Guide for Preventing Lyme Disease
by Dr. Olu Oyeniran
This summer we are encouraging everyone to be aware of a disease-causing bug called a tick, and prevention of Lyme disease that can result from a tick bite. Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in BC and North America. Unlike in eastern Canada, the rate of Lyme disease has remained low in BC. It is caused by a bacterium known as Borrelia burgdorferi which is spread by ticks. B. burgdorferi has been found in two species of ticks in BC: Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes angustus, also known as western black-legged ticks.
In BC, less than 1 percent of ticks tested carry the bacteria B. burgdorferi that cause Lyme disease. Although the number of ticks submitted for testing has increased in recent years, the prevalence of the bacteria in ticks has remained consistently low over time. If you experience any of the symptoms listed below, please visit your primary care provider to be examined.
Prevention
There is only a very small chance of ticks transmitting Lyme disease to humans.
However, the disease can be serious, so it is worth taking steps to avoid being bitten.
To protect yourself against tick and insect bites:
- Walk on cleared trails wherever possible when walking in tall grassy areas, or forested areas.
- Wear light coloured clothing so you can see ticks, tuck your top into your pants and tuck your pants into your boots or socks.
- Put insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin on all uncovered skin and clothing. Reapply as frequently as directed on the container.
When leaving an area where ticks may be found:
- Take a bath or shower to remove loosely attached ticks
- Check your entire body for attached ticks including the scalp, folds of skin, under the arms, behind the knees. Have someone help you check hard-to-see areas.
- If a tick is found, remove it immediately (see below for instructions).
- Check children, pets and outdoor gear for ticks.
- Put clothing in a hot dryer for 10 minutes to kill any remaining ticks.
*There is no vaccine for prevention of infections transmitted by ticks in Canada.
Symptoms (3-30 Days)
- Skin rash: About 70-80% of patients. Warm, but not itchy or painful.
- Fever
- Headache
- Muscle and joint pains
- Fatigue
- Weakness or paralysis of the muscles of the face
Diagnosis
Diagnosed based on symptoms, a physical exam, the possibility of exposure to infected ticks and laboratory testing. Please consult with your primary care provider if you have any concerns.
Treatment
Antibiotic prophylaxis (medicine given as prevention) can be used to prevent Lyme disease after a tick bite in high-risk situations. In BC, less than 1% of the ticks submitted to BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) carry Borrelia borgdorferi (bacteria that causes Lyme Disease), so antibiotic prophylaxis is usually not recommended after a bite from a BC tick. Your health care provider may recommend medication based on many factors, including whether antibiotics are beneficial, the tick species involved, how commonly that tick carries the disease in the area where the tick was picked up, and how long it was on the body. Consult your healthcare provider for individual advice.
Tick Identification and testing
There are several ways for BC residents to have a tick identified and tested for Lyme disease:
- Submit a photo to the eTick program for tick identification(etick.ca)
- Visit a healthcare provider if a tick is found on a human
Tick removal
You should only remove the tick yourself or get a friend or family member to remove it, if the tick is not buried very deep into your skin. If the tick has been on your skin for less than two hours, it has probably not had a chance to burrow into your skin. You should go to your doctor to get the tick removed if it has buried itself deep into your skin. The most important thing is to make sure that you remove all the tick, including the mouth parts that may be buried in your skin. Also, do not squeeze the body of the tick when you are removing it. This can force its stomach contents into the wound and increase the chance of infection.
Remove the tick right away (if possible, wear disposable gloves when handling an engorged tick):
- Use tweezers or forceps to gently get hold of the tick as close to the skin as possible. Don’t touch the tick with your hands.
- Without squeezing the tick, steadily lift it straight off the skin. Avoid jerking it out. Try to make sure that all of the tick is removed.
- Once the tick has been removed, clean the bite area with soap and water, then disinfect the wound with antiseptic cream.
- Wash your hands with soap and water.