“It is not because the area is at risk that preventive treatment is necessarily recommended. This year, in the case of RLS d’Asbestos, particularly in the Danville area, it is recommended to receive preventive treatment when the risk is significant in the Memphremagog region, but treatment is not recommended according to the criteria of the INSPQ ”, specifies the communications advisor, Marie-Ève Nadeau.
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Remember that the number of cases of Lyme disease reported to the Public Health Department in recent years has increased significantly on the territory of the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS making Estrie by far the region. most affected in Quebec.
While there was only one case in 2010, 203 cases of Lyme disease were reported in the region in 2019. There is a marked increase in the number of cases in our region compared to 2018, year over. of which 91 cases of Lyme disease had been reported.
A total of 501 cases of Lyme disease were reported across the province in 2019 compared to 305 in 2018.
The Eastern Townships is by far the region most affected by Lyme disease, whether in terms of the number of cases or the incidence rate. In Estrie, there are 41.6 / 100,000 in 2019 against 8.9 / 100,000 for the Montérégie, the second most affected region in Quebec.
In 2019 as in previous years, two sectors of the Eastern Townships stand out with very high incidence rates, namely the RLS de la Pommeraie (150.3 per 100,000) and the RLS de la Haute-Yamaska (94.0 per 100,000). These two RLS alone account for 181 cases of Lyme disease out of the 203 cases reported in 2019, or 89% of Estrie cases (41% of cases for La Pommeraie and 48% of cases for La Haute-Yamaska).
Reminder of protective measures
The best way to protect yourself against Lyme disease is obviously to avoid getting bitten. If you get bitten, it is recommended to remove the tick as soon as you notice it, ideally less than 24 hours after the bite.
Simple personal protective measures can protect people from tick bites. The first is to use mosquito repellent on exposed body parts, wear long, light-colored clothes and shoes, tuck the bottom of the pants into your socks and sweater into the pants, and walk the trails.
Secondly, it is advisable to examine your whole body after outdoor activity in a risky environment to make sure that a tick has not latched onto you, including the groin, navel, armpit, ears. and the scalp.
It is also recommended to examine your equipment and your pet to avoid introducing a tick into your home and putting the clothes in the dryer on high heat.
If a tick is found on the body, instructions on the safe removal of a tick can be found at Québec.ca / lyme.
Learn more |https://www.santeestrie.qc.ca/professionnels/ressources-pour-les-professionnels/ (Under the “Themes” category and the “Lyme disease” tab)
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