The CISSS DES LAURENTIDE PUBLIC HOUSING announces that the high risk area of exposure to Lyme disease continues to extend north of the region.
Lyme disease extends more and more north of the Laurentian region. Thus, nearly fifty municipalities are now in a high risk area. Notre-Dame-du-Laus, Huberdeau, Arundel, Sainte-Adèle and Saint-Adolphe-d’Huward are among the municipalities, to name only these.
Transmitted by the bite of an infected black leg tick, Lyme disease is increasing in Quebec. In the context of outdoor activities, the population is invited to apply preventive measures such as wearing long clothing, the use of mosquito repellents and the body inspection on the return from a kind.
Increased vigilance
With the arrival of the summer and the popularity of outdoor activities, public health recalls the importance of adopting preventive behavior to reduce the risk of bites:
- Wearing long clothes, pale, well -adjusted;
- Stay in the trails and avoid high herbs;
- Use a mosquito repellent containing deet or icaridine;
- Carefully examine his body on the return of an outing in kind;
- Take a shower or a bath to facilitate the detection of possible ticks.
Ticks do not jump, do not fly, and do not fall from trees. Rather, they grip humans or animals during contact with plants in the woods, tall grass or edges of bodies of water.
What to do in case of bite?
It is important to remove the tick as soon as possible using a tick or fine pliers, without crushing it and without using the fingers. If the tick is removed within 24 hours, the risk of contracting the disease is low. It is recommended to consult Info-Santé (811) or a healthcare professional if a redness of 5 cm or more appears around the bite, if this same redness persists more than 48 hours or if you have symptoms such as fever, fatigue or pain.
In certain municipalities deemed at high risks, such as Notre-Dame-du-Laus, a preventive dose of antibiotic can be offered after a medical assessment.
Expanding disease
The situation in the Laurentians is part of a trend observed in several regions of Quebec. The increase in temperatures, the increased presence of deer and other environmental factors contribute to the multiplication of ticks and their dispersion to the north.
The Directorate of Public Health reiterates that the best protection against Lyme disease remains the prevention and adoption of security behaviors during external activities.
