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Quebec wildlife agents want Lyme disease recognized as occupational hazard
CBC News February 14th, 2018
With Lyme disease diagnoses on the rise, wildlife agents want better care and prevention help
Quebec’s wildlife protection agents are asking the government to officially recognize Lyme disease as a workplace health hazard.
They say that under current rules, agents who get the disease have to fight with the Workplace Health and Safety Board for access to compensation or care.
The number of diagnosed cases of Lyme disease has been consistently rising in Quebec since it was first recognized in 2006. [CanLyme Note: True numbers are many times that which are reported making this matter much more serious]
“We have to be careful when we go out — wear long clothing and insect repellent,” said Dr. Geneviève Barron, a professor at Université de Sherbrooke, who works with health officials in the Eastern Townships.
It is time to get the public sector unions involved in our attempts to get chronic Lyme disease recognized as a legitimate disease. In Nova Scotia government employees and technicians think that they will be able to go on disability benefits not realizing that there are no ICD codes for their condition. So far the unions Health and Safety Officers haven’t returned calls but they should as they know how governments work and can put pressure on them to effect change.