Lyme in the maritimes: Health P.E.I. should re-evaluate efforts at prevention and diagnosis of tick-borne diseases
BY CHRIS ROBINSON [ – Chris Robinson is a health economist / epidemiologist, and former head of Evidence and Risk Assessment Division, Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency of Canada. He is now retired and living in Cavendish ]
January 9th, 2017 published by The Guardian
There are no deer on P.E.I. Local public health officials have therefore mistakenly concluded that Lyme and other tick borne diseases are not a serious threat here; because these diseases are transmitted by the bite of the so-called deer tick. Last June, P.E.I.’s chief public health officer declared that there have only ever been five confirmed Lyme disease cases on P.E.I., and that four of these were “come from away” cases from tick bites elsewhere on the mainland. Unfortunately, this reassurance is misleading.