Spring brings tick outbreaks that are of growing concern to public health experts, including one that could settle for good in Quebec in the coming years.
“We are closely monitoring the progression of tick species,” says biologist Karine Thivierge, clinical manager of medical biology at the Quebec Public Health Laboratory.
In addition to the blacklegged tick, which is well established in Quebec, there are fears of the entry of the American star tick, a species that transmits various bacteria responsible for diseases such as tularemia, which can cause skin, digestive or respiratory problems. as well as ehrlichiosis, an infection that causes fever, chills, muscle aches and headaches.
“Global warming favors species that we did not see in Quebec in the past. Or if they were present, they did not pose a problem for human health,” explains veterinarian Catherine Bouchard, epidemiologist at the Public Health Agency of Canada.
She’s coming
The stellate tick has been formally identified five times in southern Quebec (Dundee, Châteauguay, Candiac, Montreal and Saint-Roch de L’Achigan) over the past six years. according to e-tick, a site that keeps track of insect sightings. “She has a good chance of settling in for good with us in the next few years,” according to Bishop’s University entomologist Jade Savage, the site’s creator.
“The overpopulation of white-tailed deer in southern Quebec is one of the factors that explain the proliferation of blacklegged ticks, but the whitelegged mouse is also involved. “As for the starry ticks present in Quebec, they come from birds and dogs, in addition to travelers returning from the strange,” adds Ms.me Savage.
Herself at the center of one of the most affected regions of Quebec, Estrie, Ms. Savage felt the need to create the site to answer the questions of people bitten by ticks or whose pets have been .
Anatoplasmosis
Dr. Bouchard was the first veterinarian in Quebec to study the blacklegged tick, responsible for the transmission of Lyme disease.
As early as 2007, she devoted her master’s studies to this species of arthropod which carries bacteria and viruses by sucking the blood of mammals. She has just published with a colleague from the University of Montreal a map of the risks of Lyme disease infection in Estrie.
Under surveillance
Mme Thivierge recalls that there are 12 species of ticks in southern Quebec and only some of them can pose public health problems. In addition, 1% to 2% of individuals may carry a pathogen. This does not prevent clusters of cases from appearing, such as in Estrie in 2021 when 25 patients suffered from anaplasmosis.
Four Worrying Ticks
Starry Black Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
– Causes a meat allergy.
– Not yet established in Quebec but is frequently observed in New England. Has been identified in southern Quebec but probably transported by birds or humans from infested areas.
Blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis)
– Causes Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
– Established and abundant in Quebec, from the southern borders to Gasperie.
– Is closely monitored by public health agencies.
groundhog tick (Ixodes cooke)
– Very similar to the blacklegged tick, the groundhog tick can cause severe encephalitis. Five cases were listed in Quebec between 2004 and 2014.
– Occurs occasionally from southern Quebec to Val-d’Or and Percé. Well established between Montreal and Quebec, in Montérégie and Estrie.
American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
– A recent study suggests the presence of this species in southern Quebec without specifying the locations, according to the INSPQ.
– Can carry diseases but documented cases are rare.
What to do in case of a bite?
- Remove the tick using a tick puller or fine tweezers.
- Authorities recommend placing the tick in an airtight container, such as a pill container, and putting it in the refrigerator. The tick could be useful if you need to see a doctor.
- Wash your hands.