Global News: Lone Star ticks that cause red meat allergies are on their way to Canada
Jun 27th, 2017
By Carmen Chai
It looks like Lyme disease isn’t the only thing Canadians need to worry about contracting from ticks. A bite from the Lone Star tick can trigger an allergy to red meat, and the tiny bug is making its way into Canada.
For decades, scientists kept a watchful eye over the Lone Star tick and its potent bite. The tick that’s widespread in the East, Southeast and Midwest United States got its nickname from the small white “star” that’s on the back of the female bugs.
In the past few months, the tick – and its victims with newfound meat allergies – have cropped up not just in the Midwest and southern states, but farther north into Minnesota, New Hampshire and Maine.
Canadian experts say Lone Star ticks are on course to make their way into Canada, whether carnivores like it or not.
I am Canadian. Last April 23 we came through the border at Port Huron. On May 6th in the morning I walked our two dogs around Port Stanley, Ontario where I live. On May 7th I didn’t feel well. On the 8th I was feeling very ill and on the 9th got the chills, serious neurological problems , shaking so bad I could not dial my cell phone, blood pressure sky high, and blood sugars at 3. I went to the hospital and they did tests but told me after 8 hours to go home. On the 11th I went back to the hospital and at 2:00am they found a female lone star tick embedded in my left underarm. There was a round rash. They removed it and sent it for identification. They said I did not test for Lyme. They gave me 14 days of antibiotics. I have not felt well since. As an aside in 1989 I returned from Florida with a large bull’s eye on the back of my neck..it really hurt so I went to the hospital in London, Ontario (a teaching a research hospital). I showed the triage nurse the mark and she said that I had been bitten by a bug and to go home and put calamine lotion on it. I told her I thought I had been bitten by a tick and needed antibiotics. A discussion ensued and she threatened to call security if I insisted on seeing a doctor, So I left. A year later I had joint pain plus multiple other things and was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. Over a period of time I could not work and had to retire at 60 after using all my saved funds to live, Apparently there is some evidence that a misdiagnoses occurred and I had Lyme…just thinking.
I do not know what to do because the doctors in Ontario are quite haughty and make fun of you when you ask questions or try to suggest something to them.