We are back to some in-person events! Lots of things being organized for Lyme Disease Awareness Month in Nova Scotia. Some are still in the organizing stage and have to be firmed up but I will put a “TBD” (locations/dates to be determined) on any that are yet to be finalized and I will update this post as they are.

May 1st & 2nd – Halifax City Hall to be lit “Lyme” green

May 2nd – Flag-raising at Halifax City Hall – 8:30 am

May 15th – Flag-raising at Province House – 9:00 am (revised)

May 15th-19th – Province House lit “Lyme” green

First week of May – MODL’s Municipal Services Building at 10 Allée Champlain Dr, Cookville, to be “Lyme” green

May 1st – 11th – Victoria Park, Amherst, to be “Lyme” green

May 1st – 31st – Truro Civic Square Library to be “Lyme” green, with possible exceptions

May 23rd – Hike Nova Scotia, Tick Prevention Webinar, 7pm – https://www.hikenovascotia.ca/courses-tick-prevention/

May 29th – 6-8:00pm – A discussion with Dr. Richard Dubocq and others, Lunenburg Legion, 34 Duke Street, Lunenburg. Dr. Dubocq is a retired Lyme doctor from Maine who treated many in the Atlantic Provinces. The founder of Atlantick will also speak, as will Dr. Claudia Schmiemann of the Holistic Health Centre/Keliza Holistic Living.

Rescheduled – Due to impending weather, and the wildfires, the 1st Annual Walk/Fly a Kite event is being tentatively rescheduled to Sunday, June 11th, same time and place. Volunteers still needed. – The June 4th – 1st Annual Walk/Fly a Kite for Lyme Disease Awareness – 1-4:00 pm (assembly & registration begins at 12:00 noon at the gazebo) – Wolfville Waterfront Park. This year we will be remembering and honouring Hailey Kane who died tragically from Lyme complications in 2018 at 17 years of age. Volunteers needed – Brian Milligan – 902-848-6286.

June 17th – Woodlawn Public Library – “Ticked Off! Protect Yourself From Lyme Disease” – a screening of “Faces of Lyme” and Q&A. Registration is required – https://halifax.bibliocommons.com/events/6441818a11597f2505a403a7.

Public screenings of “The Quiet Epidemic” (trailer – https://youtu.be/cwIi7Y37Nnk)

• May 17th – 7:30pm – King’s Theatre, Annapolis Royal – https://www.kingstheatre.ca/upcoming-events/

• May 24th – 7pm – Al Whittle Theatre, Wolfville – https://www.alwhittletheatre.ca/events/quietepidemic

• June 5th – 6-8:30pm – Halifax Central Library, Halifax – https://halifax.bibliocommons.com/events/646288db64c37d340084db2b (revised start time)

• June 15th – 6:30pm – Glasgow Square Theatre, New Glasgow – Tickets required in advance ($5.00 to help cover costs) – https://www.showpass.com/screening-of-the-quiet-epidemic/

The province has proclaimed May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month. As well, all NS municipal units were contacted requesting they proclaim May as Lyme Disease Awareness Month and light facilities green for all, or a portion, of the month. Many municipal units do not undertake proclamations but a few of those will be posting about tick prevention on their social media.

The following municipal units have agreed to proclaim:

Halifax Regional Municipality

Cape Breton Regional Municipality

Municipality of the County of Annapolis

Municipality of the County of Colchester

Municipality of the County of Kings

Municipality of the County of Pictou

Municipality of the District of Chester

Municipality of the District of Guysborough

Municipality of the District of Lunenburg

Municipality of the District of Shelburne

Town of Amherst

Town of Antigonish

Town of Bridgewater

Town of Lunenburg

Town of Middleton

Town of New Glasgow

Town of Pictou

Town of Port Hawkesbury

Town of Shelburne

Town of Stellarton

Town of Trenton

Town of Westville

We ask that everyone decorate their homes in lime green for the month of May to help raise awareness. Would love to see how you go lime green for Lyme. Share photos on social media with the hashtag “LymeDiseaseAwarenessMonth” and/or “Stopthebite”.

If those on social media want to post about Lyme Disease Awareness Month on their personal pages as well as on any of their local community pages that allow posts, it’s a good time to remind people of the proper way to remove ticks (the federal government video is helpful – https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/video/lyme-disease-properly-remove-tick.html). Also mentioning the variety of erythema migrans Lyme rashes (https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/resources/NCEZID_rash_poster3r1-508.pdf) is important as the bull’s-eye version is only seen in a small minority of cases AND not everyone gets a rash. The fact that both blacklegged and dog ticks can carry a variety of illnesses is also frequently overlooked. Also not mentioned enough is the fact that present testing is not 100% accurate so a negative test does not necessarily mean that you do not have Lyme and/or other tick-borne disease.

Although dog ticks have not yet been found to carry Lyme, as far as I know anyway, they can carry other things that can be transmitted to humans. No attached tick is a good tick!

The eTick tool (https://www.etick.ca/) is helpful for tick identification and determining approximately how long the tick may have been attached to a host.

Geneticks (https://www.geneticks.ca/) is a private tick testing company in Canada, with labs in Ontario and New Brunswick. Although there is a fee, it can be worth it to have an engorged tick tested if removed from a human or pet. It’s not a diagnostic tool, but can be a life-saver if symptoms arise. As well, if you can afford it, I highly recommend the common panel rather than just Lyme as ticks can be carrying more than Lyme or things instead of and it’s almost impossible to have those diagnosed by health care practitioners in Nova Scotia.

Here are some additional links for sharing/information:

• Federal government – https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/lyme-disease/lyme-disease-awareness-resources.html
• NS government:
• brochure – https://www.nshealth.ca/sites/nshealth.ca/files/patientinformation/06037.pdf, also available in French. Printed copies can be obtained at Public Health Offices, but call first as they are not always in stock.
• Poster – https://www.nshealth.ca/sites/nshealth.ca/files/patientinformation/06047.pdf. Also available in French.
• Tick check basics poster – https://novascotia.ca/ticksafety/poster.pdf.
• 2019 Risk Map (newest) – https://novascotia.ca/dhw/cdpc/documents/Lyme_disease_risk_map.pdf.

Please do what you can to help raise awareness.

Thank you.