Canada's top public health officer, Dr. Gregory Taylor, has voiced concern over the surge in cases of Lyme disease in Canada, up from 140 in 2009 to 700 in 2015, and rising fast: "We think the numbers are much higher and it's alarming that the numbers are increasing continuously," said Taylor, adding that his major concern is the full impact of Lyme disease isn't known. Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria transmitted by ticks that suck the blood of humans and other animals; if left untreated it can result in facial palsy, meningitis, heart problems, nerve damage and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. However, it is not only ticks that should be a concern as lice, fleas and mosquitoes have also been found to carry Borrelia, and it can be transmitted person-to-person through saliva, blood transfusions, sexual contact and breast milk. It was suggested last month that Lyme disease is a ticking time bomb being one of the fastest growing vector-borne diseases in the Canadians world, with the true number of people affected being underestimated due to under-reporting and the limitations of current diagnostic tests. The main areas for transmitting the disease are Europe, the US, and Asia.
Canada's top public health officer, Dr. Gregory Taylor, has voiced concern over the surge in cases of Lyme disease in Canada, up from 140 in 2009 to 700 in 2015, and rising fast: "We think the numbers are much higher and it's alarming that the numbers are increasing continuously," said Taylor, adding that his major concern is the full impact of Lyme disease isn't known. Lyme disease is an infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria transmitted by ticks that suck the blood of humans and other animals; if left untreated it can result in facial palsy, meningitis, heart problems, nerve damage and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. However, it is not only ticks that should be a concern as lice, fleas and mosquitoes have also been found to carry Borrelia, and it can be transmitted person-to-person through saliva, blood transfusions, sexual contact and breast milk. It was suggested last month that Lyme disease is a ticking time bomb being one of the fastest growing vector-borne diseases in the Western world, with the true number of people affected being underestimated due to under-reporting and the limitations of current diagnostic tests. The main areas for transmitting the disease are Europe, the US, and Asia.