What you should know about the tick-borne disease anaplasmosis

CTV National News: Alarming number of ticks Mild winters and contributing to an alarming number of ticks all across Canada. Paul Hollingsworth explains.

Cases of a tick-borne illness called anaplasmosis are on the rise globally, according to the National Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCCID), and that includes across Canada.

Like Lyme disease, anaplasmosis is a bacterial infection that spreads to humans and animals through bites from infected ticks. It causes flu-like symptoms and can lead to long-term complications in some cases.

However, unlike Lyme, anaplasmosis infections weren't "nationally notifiable" until this year, meaning Canada has limited data on its spread here. A nationally notifiable disease is one that the federal, provincial and territorial governments have identified as a priority for monitoring and control.

Biology professor and tick-borne disease expert Vett Lloyd says it is important to understand the risk factors for contracting anaplasmosis, and recognize symptoms of an infection, as the disease becomes more prevalent in areas with large tick populations.

What are the symptoms of anaplasmosis?

Unlike Lyme disease, Lloyd said an anaplasmosis infection doesn't begin with a telltale skin rash.

"In some cases it can be asymptomatic, so people don't notice," she said in an interview on CTV's Your Morning on Wednesday. "Sometimes it's mild, just flu-like symptoms, then it's resolved."

According to NCCID and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, symptoms of an infection can include fever, chills, headache, muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite.

An anaplasmosis infection can be even more dangerous for certain at-risk populations.

"For older people, people whose medications might suppress their immune system (and) young people, it can produce internal bleeding, impact the kidney and things can get really bad," Lloyd said.

Symptoms usually appear between five and 21 days after a bite.

Where is the disease most prevalent?

Anaplasmosis has been detected in ticks as far west as Vancouver Island, and in humans in Washington state. Human cases have been reported in Manitoba going back at least as far as 2015, and the first locally recorded case of the disease in Canada was in an Alberta resident in 2009.

Nonetheless, Lloyd said most of the "hot spots" for the disease are in Central and Eastern Canada.

"So (a) higher incidence from eastern Ontario through Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia," she said. "Maine is having an outbreak right now, (and) Nova Scotia has several hot spots where lots of people are getting sick."

According to NCCID, the disease is more prevalent in Eastern Canada and the northeastern United States because that's where populations of its main host, the blacklegged tick, are highest.

"The ticks that carry it probably came up from the States," Lloyd said.

 What should you do if you've been bitten?

Anyone bitten by a tick should monitor for symptoms of tick-borne illnesses, "perhaps being a bit more suspicious than you would otherwise if you suddenly get a flu," Lloyd said.

If you're able to keep the tick that bit you, it might also be possible to have it tested for diseases like Lyme and anaplasmosis.

"Depending on where you are in the country, that can be free or you may have to pay for it through a private company," Lloyd said. "Failing that, if you do get sick and end up in the ER, you hope your doctor is picking it up."

There are blood tests that can identify an anaplasmosis infection, and doctors can treat the disease with the antibiotic doxycycline, but Lloyd said it's best if you can avoid being exposed in the first place.

What's the best way to prevent an infection?

The CDC warns there is no vaccine to prevent anaplasmosis, so the best way to prevent illness is by avoiding tick bites and regularly checking for embedded ticks. It's best to treat a possible infection as early as possible.

Ticks feed on blood, and once a tick has found a host to feed on, it uses its mouth to cut through the host's skin, embeds a feeding tube into the opening and remains attached to the host until it is full.

"The trick is being aware of your tick exposure," Lloyd agreed. "This isn't a reason to stay inside quivering with fear. But after you've been outside for recreational purposes or if you work in the outdoors, it's really, really important to do a check. Bug spray as a preventative really is a great idea because who wants to be bitten by anything?"