Lyme disease infections plummet thanks to Ottawa's hot, dry summer

By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, September 7, 2018

The number of Lyme disease cases in Ottawa has fallen 75 per cent this year, down from record-breaking numbers last year, when the city was declared to be an area at risk of the tick-borne disease.

As of Sept. 1, Ottawa Public Health had recorded 42 cases of Lyme disease. At the same time last year, the number was 169.

“There are multiple factors that may play a role in the trend of lower Lyme disease cases this year,” Ottawa Public Health spokeswoman Donna Casey said in an email. “One of those factors include excessive heat and drier conditions to date in 2018 that may be having an effect on tick populations across Ontario.”

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/lyme-disease-infections-plummet-thanks-to-ottawas-hot-dry-summer

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