Avoiding Lyme disease

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This week Canadian rock star Avril Lavigne revealed that she contracted lyme disease after being bitten by a tick. With more and more people enjoying the double-digit temperatures, Phil Perkins spoke with Hamilton Public Health to find out how to protect yourself from this potentially debilitating illness.

With the mercury hovering around 17 degrees, many people woke up from hibernation and headed to Bayfront Park.

“It’s beautiful – just enjoying the good weather, finally it’s nice – we’re just going for a walk, have some lunch cuz it’s finally nice.”

As nice as it is, more people are talking about an illness that’s contracted while outdoors thanks to a famous Canadian singer. Avril Lavigne says that she has Lyme disease.

She suspects she was bitten by a tick last spring and had been bedridden for five months. While she’s 80% recovered, some people, like Caledonia native Shelby MacNeil are still fighting. CHCH News first talked to her last August and her family tells us today that she’s now is in Florida getting treatment.

According to Susan Harding-Cruz of Hamilton public health, there are two kinds of ticks, and only one could transmit Lyme.

“You have to be bitten by the black-legged tick and that tick needs to feed on you for up to 24 hours. It’s very small.”

If you see that, bring out the tweezers. “Hold tightly to the head of the tick and pull it straight out.”

Ticks can be found in wooded, grassy areas. But experts are saying that you don’t have to be paranoid about going outside and enjoying the warmer weather. That’s because the chances of you being bitten by a Lyme-infected tick here in Hamilton are really slim.

“We had 135 ticks admitted to our office last year and only two were black-legged ticks that were found in Hamilton.” However, seeing that no one likes any kind of bug bite, you should still be prepared.

“You can use deet, just follow the directions. you can also wear long pants and shirts and of course do a self-check after you have been outside.”