Lyme Disease Education Campaign Posted on 2010-05-20 22:47:41 The Chatham-Kent Health Unit is taking aim at Lyme disease in Rondeau this Victoria Day weekend. The health unit has partnered with Rondeau Provincial Park to raise awareness of the disease and explain how people can protect themselves. Public health staff will be at the gates of the park to distribute information packages and answer questions. "We've targeted the Victoria Day long weekend to roll out our campaign because that's a weekend that people spend a lot of time hiking and camping, and it sort of kick-starts the entire spring/summer season," said Cara Robinson, a public health inspector, who is leading the awareness campaign. With the slogan: Lyme Disease — Reduce the Risk — Target Ticks, Robinson highlighted the effort during the Chatham-Kent Board of Health meeting Wednesday. Lyme disease is an infection caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi. The bacteria are spread by the bite of blacklegged ticks, also called deer ticks. The risk for exposure to Lyme disease is highest in regions where the ticks that transmit Lyme disease are known to be established. In Ontario those areas include Rondeau Provincial Park, where Robinson said the blacklegged tick population is endemic. Other known established areas include Turkey Point Provincial Park, Long Point Provincial Park and St. Lawrence Islands National Park. Robinson said the awareness campaign at Rondeau has several components, including billboards, a poster in the visitors centre and three fact sheets explaining the symptoms of Lyme disease, prevention tips and the proper ways to remove ticks. Robinson has acquired several keys for removing ticks and they will be distributed in the information packages. Ticks are usually picked up when brushing against vegetation and once on bare skin they attach by their mouth parts. The only way for humans to get Lyme disease is from the bite of an infected tick. Lyme disease in humans can have serious symptoms, but it can also be effectively treated if people are aware of what to look for. Information from the health unit said people can avoid it if they follow some simple steps, including staying on trails, avoiding tall grasses and wearing light coloured clothing — preferably long-sleeved shirts with tight cuffs and long pants that are tucked into socks — and using insect repellant containing DEET. After hiking or camping, people are urged to do a body check, looking for ticks on themselves, family members and pets. Ticks can easily be removed by grasping the tick's front end, close to the skin,with a pair of tweezers and pulling it straight out. Not all ticks carry Lyme disease and even with a bite from an infected tick, there is a small chance of getting Lyme disease, especially if the tick is removed promptly. Ticks removed from a person's body can be submitted for identification, and if necessary, testing at the health unit. Symptoms of Lyme disease begin one or two weeks after a bite, but can occur from three days to one month later. They start with a bull's-eye rash around the tick bite, but not everyone gets this type of rash. After the rash appears, people may experience a fever, fatigue, muscle and joint pain and swollen glands. Complications involving the heart, nervous system and joints may occur if left untreated. Lyme disease became a nationally reportable disease in Canada this year, meaning that all medical professionals must report cases of it to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Originally published by The Chatham Daily News on May 19, 2010. back to main