[Translated from French]
For the first time in Quebec, a person has contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a tick-borne disease that is potentially fatal, a doctor stated on Monday. The patient, recently infected in Estrie, has nevertheless responded well to treatment and has now recovered.
As milder temperatures favour the proliferation of ticks, we expect to see more and more cases in the coming years in Quebec, says Dr. Alex Carignan, infectious disease microbiologist and professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at the University of Sherbrooke. “It is concerning, because it is an infection with significant severity.”
The disease, which is treated with antibiotics, can lead to death if not properly managed. The first symptoms, which appear a few hours or days after a person is bitten, include a high fever, headache, muscle aches, and skin lesions in the form of small red spots.
In the United States, where it is widespread, Rocky Mountain spotted fever is transmitted primarily by the bite of an American dog tick carrying the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii.
This species of tick has been found in Quebec for several years now, Dr. Carignan emphasizes. “We expected to see the first cases appear in a five- to ten-year horizon. But it is finally happening now. So, we must adapt accordingly,” says Dr. Carignan, who also holds the Research Chair in Lyme Disease and Emerging Infections.
Image description: Closeup photo of an American dog tick, crawling on the skin of a person. Photo: Jerry Kirkhart. Image is licensed under a Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 DEED | Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
