Potentially deadly tick-borne illness recorded in Quebec and Ontario

Experts are warning about a rare and deadly disease carried by ticks that’s been discovered in Canada. Dr. Isaac Bogoch on how to keep your family safe.

Canada’s first known human case of a potentially deadly tick-borne illness has been documented in Quebec.

The Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever case was recently recorded in Quebec’s Eastern Townships. It follows reports from Ontario of infected animals that visited Long Point on Lake Erie.

“Many people with this infection can be on the more severe end of the spectrum,” infectious disease specialist Dr. Isaac Bogoch told CTV’s Your Morning on Monday. “This can cause a very significant illness and can result in hospitalization and death.”

The bacterial illness is carried by several tick species, including dermacentor variabilis, which is also known as the American dog tick. Despite its name, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is most common in the eastern United States, where thousands of cases are recorded every year.

Like other species that carry Lyme disease, the ticks’ range has been expanding northward into Canada due to climate change.

“Fortunately, it’s extraordinarily rare in Canada,” Bogoch, who is a University of Toronto professor and a clinical investigator at the Toronto General Hospital Research Institute, said. “But as we see ticks survive and thrive in more northern latitudes, we’re seeing more and more tick-transmitted illnesses.”

Initial symptoms typically appear between three and 12 days after a tick bite and can include fever, headache, nausea and vomiting. That’s followed by a characteristic spotted rash that can appear roughly three days after other symptoms.

If left untreated, the fatality rate can be as high as between 20 to 30 per cent, according to the U.S.-based Cleveland Clinic. When treated with the antibiotic doxycycline, which is also used for Lyme disease, the fatality rate drops to between five and 10 per cent. Early intervention is key to avoid more serious outcomes, which can also include amputation, hearing loss and brain damage.

“There’s only been one case in humans in Eastern Canada,” Bogoch said. “But I think the point here is that we will likely see more of this as we’re seeing more of other tick-transmitted illnesses. We should be aware of it, because that can enable someone to think about this and then start prompt treatm ents.”

To protect yourself, Bogoch advises using insect repellant and wearing long pants and long-sleeved shirts when venturing outdoors.

“This should not prevent us from going outside, we should be enjoying the outdoors as much as possible,” Bogoch said. “And when you come inside look all over your body, maybe have someone look at the backs of your legs and arms where it’s hard to see, and promptly remove the ticks.”

You can learn more about how to carefully remove a tick on the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website.

With files from CTV News Kitchener and CTV News Montreal