Saskatoon women frustrated with provincial testing methods for Lyme disease
Erin Petrow, Saskatoon Starphoenix
January 8th, 2018
When Danielle Briske started having severe migrating muscle pain and weakness, plus a variety of other symptoms, doctors kept telling her it was all in her head.
As it turned out, Briske had contracted Lyme disease. The diagnosis took months and more than $8,000 to confirm.
According to information on Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Health website, the risk of contracting Lyme disease in the province is “low” because the disease spreads through the black-legged tick. The ministry says the tick species does not currently have an established population in the province — but Jim Wilson, the president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation (CanLyme) calls that belief “foolhardy.”
“Every province has Lyme disease, because every province has robins, wrens and finches. It’s these migratory birds that transplant these infected ticks in the tens of millions each season,” he said.
