Tick-borne Lyme disease: flu-like symptoms and more (2024)

This article is not medical advice. If you have concerns, please consult your physician or medical professional.

It only takes a little bug to turn life upside down. Symptoms of drooping eyelid, sagging side of the face, difficulty swallowing and utter exhaustion could represent a myriad of diseases. The signs are progressive and can leave the patient nearly incapacitated. In the case of one man, it wasn’t a stroke, it wasn’t a brain injury. Symptoms were caused by the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Also known as deer ticks, the parasites are out for blood, and in the process potentially spread life-altering Lyme disease.

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Several types of ticks call Ontario home: American dog tick, lone star tick and others. But not all ticks carry Lyme disease. The blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) is a joint-legged arthropod in the arachnid family (think spiders, scorpions and mites). It has a two- to three-year life cycle. Dated to nearly 100 million years ago, fossils of ticks in amber were found in southeast Asia, proving the parasites lived in the dinosaur age. As the Canadian climate changes, ticks thrive in the humid, warmer conditions.

Laying a batch of 2,000 to 8,000 eggs on the ground in spring, the adult female tick keeps them safe under leaves, brush or somewhere undisturbed. (When her work is done, the adult dies.) Hatching in summer, the wee ticks become larvae with six legs. At this stage, the tick must have a blood meal to progress to the next stage.

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The hungry tick is in “questing” mode, awaiting a host. The diet choices are wide — humans, birds, animals, reptiles, amphibians — anything with blood will do. Blood is crucial for survival. Some time between fall and spring, “when the larvae are finished feeding on their first host, they’ll fall to the ground and begin moulting as they transition to the next life cycle stage — nymphs,” said Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania.

When temperatures warm to above 3 C, the now eight-legged nymphs emerge and begin the search for another dinner. If the tick picked up Borellia burfdorferi bacteria from the first host, they may infect the next feeding host. They may pick it up at this feed. As well, the tick may pick up a second type of bacteria, such as Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, or others. Generally remaining on the host until autumn, the tick, bloated with victims’ blood, falls off. Starting the final transition to adulthood, the female tick will find a mate to begin the next generation.

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Unable to jump or fly, ticks hold their front legs out, waiting “for a host by resting on grasses and shrubs, and when a host brushes the spot where they are resting, the tick quickly climbs aboard their host,” described Cataraqui Conservation in “Ticks and Lyme Disease Facts.” Lurking in trees and parks, ticks also wait in gardens for an unsuspecting host.

At his home west of Kingston, Fritz (a pseudonym for privacy) frequently worked outside, tending to a large property, equipment and vehicles. Often walking in tall grass or lying on the ground to fix a car, he presented a tasty morsel for ticks waiting on the ground. Finding and removing any ticks from his person, Fritz was confident he was in the clear. His small dog is a tick magnet and must be checked daily. However, at an unknown time, Fritz contracted a tick-borne bacteria.

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In their early stages, ticks are tiny, not much bigger than a pinhead. Ticks in older stages are easier to spot but can still escape detection. With tiny legs, they creep along limbs or neck. When it finds just the right place, the tick “feeds by piercing its mouthparts into the skin of the host and ‘plugging into’ a capillary (a very small blood vessel,” Shelley Ball wrote in Lyme Disease, Ticks and You (Firefly Books Ltd., Richmond Hill 2021)

Last year, COVID-19 variants struck both Fritz and his wife, Lila (also a pseudonym). Lila recovered, but Fritz’s symptoms worsened. Weary, with weakened voice and unable to participate in his usual routine, the 70-something man spent most days in bed. His wife grew concerned. Other symptoms emerged, and within a few weeks, one eyelid drooped and blocked vision.

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Due to its many and varying symptoms, it seems Lyme disease is not considered near the top of the assessment list of the medical community. Visits to Fritz’s primary care professional brought no results. Trips to the emergency room also were no help. Hope of finding a diagnosis came from his eye doctor. Alarmed, he sent his patient to the hospital and passed on his concerns so the emergency staff had a place to start investigating.

The eye doctor thought Fritz may have had myasthenia gravis, a chronic autoimmune disease. Taking his mask off for examination at emergency, Fritz’s drooping eyelid rapidly spread into facial paralysis over only a few hours. Such rapid facial paralysis is known as Bell’s palsy. The concerned patient underwent an MRI, and saw a neurologist the next day.

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Ruling out myasthenia gravis, the neurologist admitted the patient to hospital for tests. Vital signs showed that Fritz had no fever. He was unable to swallow without choking and was slightly confused. A feeding tube was inserted for nutrition and medication administration, and another MRI was performed, this time with contrast dye. Fritz and his family learned he did not have a stroke, but the mystery remained.

After extensive work-ups with blood tests, X-rays, and other labs, neurologists diagnosed Fritz with Lyme disease.

A course of antibiotics was ordered, and later, a second round. Physiotherapists provided an exercise program to build up strength after months of little activity. Spending more than five weeks in hospital under the fine care of neurologists, nursing staff and other professionals, Fritz was discharged. Gradually, the facial paralysis eased and the drooping eyelid lifted so Fritz could see again.

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Now many months later, Fritz is not yet back to good health. “Still not at full mobility,” Fritz said, and he tires after walking only “a hundred yards.” As well, he thinks his brain feels “kind of scrambled” yet.

Before enjoying the woodsy outdoors, take measures to lessen the chance of tick bites. Wear long pants and long sleeves, and shoes with socks. Use a repellent on clothing such as DEET to deter ticks from grabbing on. Back home, examine yourself, children and pets for ticks. Ticks wander around looking for a satisfying spot, so check hair, arms, legs, around ears, waist, under the arms, crotch and belly button. Taking a shower will remove an unseen tick that has not attached itself yet.

If you find a tick that has attached itself to your skin, “do not squeeze the tick or try to burn it off,” said Cataraqui Conservation. Using tweezers if available, “grasp the tick by the head as close to the skin as possible and pull it out gently but firmly.” Clean the bite area with soap and water, or use sanitizer. And record the date that the tick was removed.

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Take a photo of the tick; your doctor or health unit may be able to determine if it is a blacklegged tick. Depending on how long the tick was in the skin, the doctor may prescribe a short round of preventive antibiotics. You could also submit photos to www.etick.ca with location and date, to add to statistical data.

“Lyme disease has been described as the great imitator,” Ball said. “The symptoms in both the early and late stages of the disease are shared by a whole suite of other chronic diseases and conditions.” Some information may be misleading as well, such as looking for a “bull’s eye” rash to indicate Lyme disease. “This specific type of rash occurs in as few as nine per cent of cases.” Instead, be on the lookout for a solid red area.

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“Virtually any part of the body may be impacted by tick-borne infections, including the brain and nervous system, heart, skin, joints, stomach and eyes,” according to Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation. Early indicators of Lyme disease could be flu-like symptoms of sore throat, congestion, headaches, body aches and exhaustion. Symptoms may migrate to different parts of the body and may be different with each person. Visit canlyme.com/symptoms for a comprehensive list.

Changing weather in the region is providing a comfortable habitat for ticks. The parasites are out early this year. Several were already pulled off Fritz’s dog, and, according to Lila, a small tick was found soaking up warmth on the screen of his tablet. Eek!

While not available yet, vaccines for Lyme disease are in development. Visit the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation for all kinds of useful information.

Susanna McLeod is a writer living in Kingston. After an outing, she was disturbed to find a feeding tick buried into her upper arm. Fortunately, it was removed within a couple of hours and the doctor determined no treatment was needed.

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