Saint-Hilaire-de-Dorset becomes the first municipality of Beauce officially recognized as an endemic area for Lyme disease.
This update from the National Institute of Public Health of Quebec (INSPQ), published in this month, confirms that the risk of contracting the disease after a tick bite is now considered to be higher than elsewhere in the region.
For residents and visitors, this marks an important turning point that requires increased vigilance and better information on prevention gestures.
What is a “endemic area”?
Being registered on the map of Quebec’s “endemic areas” is not trivial. It is the result of years of rigorous scientific monitoring. The health authorities thus classify the municipalities where the presence of the tick on black legs (ixodes scapularis) – the main vector of Lyme disease – is considered sufficiently established and worrying.
Several criteria come into play: the appearance of at least three human cases acquired locally in the past five years, a significant number of ticks taken from humans, or even detection on the field of specimens infected by the Borrelia Burgdorferi bacteria.
For Saint-Hilaire-de-Dorset, this new classification confirms that the establishment of the tick and the bacteria it transports is no longer only theoretical or occasional: it has become a real and documented risk.
What it changes for residents and visitors
Concretely, this official recognition changes the situation. Tick stings must now be taken seriously and are subject to specific recommendations.
The Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS) of Chaudière-Appalaches recalls that in the event of a bite, the first step is always to remove the tick as quickly as possible and to keep it in a small hermetic pot. This precaution makes it possible to identify the species later if necessary.
Once the tick is removed, it is advisable to consult a pharmacist. This will evaluate the relevance of administering preventive treatment based on antibiotics (post-exposition or PPE prophylaxis). Note that this approach is not systematic: the pharmacist will verify if all the conditions are met – for example, if the tick has remained attached more than 24 hours and if the consultation takes place less than 72 hours after the withdrawal. The person should not have any symptoms evocative of the disease.
Why is caution essential?
Since 2017, the PPE has been offered in certain risk areas in Quebec. Its effectiveness is not absolute, but it can reduce the risk of infection when administered quickly.
According to the National Institute of Excellence in Health and Social Services (INESS), the overall risk of transmission of Lyme disease after a tank bite on black legs is estimated between 1 % and 3 % in high -risk areas.
This figure may seem low, but it climbs significantly if the tick has remained hung for a long time: according to studies carried out in humans, the risk of developing migrant erythema could reach 25 % when the tick remained on the skin for more than 72 hours.
This is why the speed of withdrawal is a key factor. The sooner the tick, the more the risk of infection decreases.
After the bite, the symptoms to be monitored
Lyme disease is not always declared immediately. The first symptoms may appear several days or even weeks after the bite. The most characteristic sign is migrant erythema: a circular redness which extends slowly around the site of the bite and which generally exceeds 5 cm in diameter.
But other symptoms may occur: fever, headache, fatigue, muscle and joint pain. Not treated, the disease can evolve towards more serious forms, with neurological or cardiac damage.
For health authorities, prevention remains the best weapon. This involves simple but essential gestures: wear long and pale clothes during forest activities or in high grass, use approved repellents, and above all carefully inspect your skin (especially children and pets) after each outing in kind.
The Inspq also recalls that Lyme disease is not the only infection transmitted by ticks. Anaplasmosis, babesiosis, recurrent fever or even Powassan encephalitis are also monitored, even if they remain rarer.
With this announcement, Saint-Hilaire-de-Dorset becomes the first Beauceurne municipality officially recognized in endemic zone. It is a clear signal: Lyme disease is no longer a distant issue reserved for other regions of Quebec.
