Lyme Disease carrying ticks thrive in Southern Manitoba.

Dr. Shelly Buchan from Southern Health-Santé Sud says May has been deemed Lyme disease awareness month, and our region is the perfect habitat for black legged, or deer ticks that carry a few illnesses including Lyme disease.

Rolly Massicotte from Ste. Anne thought he had a pimple on his neck, and as it got bigger, he realized it was a tick. By that time, he had already been infected with Lyme disease.

“I was diagnosed two and a half years ago. I had sore muscles and was tired all the time, and was deteriorating. My speech was different and I started to stutter. I thought I was having a stroke, and when I read up on the symptoms of Lyme disease, I had all of them.”

Massicotte says he didn't know at first, and kept working, but his condition worsened. He says when he was tested, nothing came up, and one Dr. thought it might be M.S. “Eventually I was tested for Lyme disease and it was confirmed.”

Dr. Buchan says Physicians are testing for Lyme disease now, more than they did a few years ago. “We also know that people are taking more precautions, so our numbers last year are a little lower than the previous year, which means people are being more careful.”

According to Dr. Buchan, some symptoms of Lyme disease include: a bulls eye style rash, fatigue, fever, chills, headache and joint and muscle pain. “The illness, if transmitted, can take from 3 days to 6 weeks post tick bite to show symptoms. If that happens, you want to be seen by your primary care provider, and ask that you be looked at for Lyme disease or other tick born diseases, because we do have antibiotics that are very effective for all three of them, and the earlier you're treated the better.

As a precaution, Dr. Buchan says to wear light coloured clothing so you can easily identify insects, wear closed toed shoes, long sleeves and put your socks over your pant legs, walk in the middle of paths, use tick repellents, and when you come back from a walk or have been outdoors check yourself, children and pets.

She also suggests having a shower within a few hours to help dislodge any ticks that may have been missed. Generally if a tick is removed within 24 hours it is less likely one will become infected.