Support tools
Support group on Facebook
AQML has created a private discussion and support group on Facebook. This is a very active group where you’ll find many people with Lyme Disease and have personal experience with it. These “lymies” will be happy to answer any questions you may have. We’ve also included several testimonials in which you may recognize yourself.
Frequently asked questions
If you have any questions, please visit our FAQ page.
*If you can’t find the answers to your questions on the FAQ page, you can contact us at: info@aqml.ca
Documentation on Lyme disease (INESSS)
We first suggest that you read the Diagnosis section, to understand the diagnostic features of the disease, and also to distinguish between the various stages of the disease. We also recommend that you refer to the INESSS diagnostic document, available in the Relevant Links section.
In the meantime, if you’re not sure whether your symptoms match those of chronic Lyme Disease, here is the Horowitz Questionnaire. It will allow you to determine the probability of having Lyme Disease and the multi-systemic infectious syndrome that occurs with the advanced form of the disease: See the questionnaire.
If you find a tick on your body, it’s important to remove it properly. Simply follow the instructions below:
- Using tick tweezers or clean, fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the head of the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly.
- Using tick tweezers or clean, fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the head of the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly.
- If the tick’s mouthparts break off and remain in the skin, remove them with tweezers. If you can’t remove them easily, leave them in place and let your skin heal.
- Clean the bite area with soap and water or an alcohol-based disinfectant.
IMP: Do not try to remove the tick by:
- burning it;
- smothering it with nail polish, essential oils, petroleum jelly, nail polish remover.
This can cause the tick to release stomach contents, which may be infected, into the bite area. This can increase your risk of infection.
It is also recommended to consult your healthcare provider as soon as possible.
These recommendations are in line with those issued by the Government of Canada. For the complete source, visit: https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-publique/services/maladies/maladie-lyme/enlever-tiques-et-presenter-fins-analyse.html#a1
Here is a video that demonstrates how to remove a tick: https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-publique/services/video/maladie-lyme-bonne-facon-retirer-tique.html
It is absolutely possible to have a tick analyzed. However, it is important to note that the goal should not be to diagnose Lyme Disease. A tick can be analyzed for the following reasons:
- Identifying the type of tick
- Finding out if a tick carries pathogens
- Contribute to epidemiological data (determine where ticks are found and how they spread)
In Québec, the Laboratoire de santé publique du Québec (LSPQ) analyzes ticks submitted voluntarily by hospital medical microbiology laboratories and certain veterinary hospitals and clinics. The results of these tests are used for tracking purposes only, to inform public health authorities about the risks of exposure to the ticks responsible for Lyme Disease transmission in Québec. The objectives are as follows:
- Find out about the geographical distribution of Ixodes scapularis ticks in different regions of Québec;
- Determine the proportion of I. scapularis ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytphilum and Babesia microti;
- Provide basic data for field studies.
*Il est important de noter que les résultats ne sont pas transmis. Ces analyses servent exclusivement à des fins de surveillance pour l’INSPQ et ne doivent pas être utilisées comme outil d’aide au diagnostic.
Here’s how to send a tick to contribute to the LSPQ data:
- Remove the tick (see steps for removing a tick).
- Place the tick in an airtight, break-proof plastic container (e.g. pill bottle).
- Write on the container:
- your name;
- the place (municipality) and date on which the tick bit you.
- Keep the tick in the fridge (4 °C) until you see a doctor.
- Fill in the form Request for identification of ticks collected from humans.
- Bring the tick and the form to a doctor for a medical consultation.
Here’s a link to all the information on INSPQ tick analysis: https://www.inspq.qc.ca/lspq/repertoire-des-analyses/maladie-lyme-analyse-tiques
Private tick laboratory services are also available. These include:
- The platform https://www.etick.ca : Tick identification and mapping platform.
- https://www.gdg.ca/en/service/tick-identification-analysis/: GDG Environnement offers tick identification and analysis services. A molecular “PCR test” is then carried out to determine whether the tick submitted carries the infectious agent for Lyme Disease, recurrent fever, babesiosis and/or anaplasmosis.
You can also visit the other pages in the Resources section for more information on Lyme disease.