Quebec reports first case of tick-borne Rocky Mountain spotted fever
The single case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever was reported in the Eastern Townships region east of Montreal.
Alex Carignan, an epidemiologist with the local health authority, says on X that the patient responded well to antibiotic treatment.
Carignan notes the infection causes high fevers, a distinctive rash, and can lead to death if improperly treated.
The infection is transmitted by the dermacentor tick, also known as the American dog tick.
Carignan says experts assumed the disease would arrive in Quebec, but he says the first case was detected earlier than expected.
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Vancouver Sun
19 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Opinion: Ensuring public trust in our organ donation and transplant system
Recent articles in the New York Times have brought public attention to serious concerns about the care of critically ill patients who were incorrectly identified as potential organ donors in the U.S. These revelations have led to a mass exodus from organ donor registries in the United States with potentially fatal consequences for thousands of patients waiting for life-saving organ transplants. These events also have the potential to undermine Canadians' trust in our organ donation system. Like the U.S., Canada has regulations and rigorous protocols to safeguard critically ill and potentially vulnerable patients from erroneously being considered for organ donation. The specific cases in the U.S. involved patients whose death was determined by circulatory criteria (DCC). DCC is a well-established practice that occurs when a patient with a severe, irreversible brain injury is withdrawn from life-sustaining treatments, with the intention of providing comfort care at end of life. After death is pronounced, based on the irreversible cessation of circulation and respiration, organs can be recovered for transplantation. A daily roundup of Opinion pieces from the Sun and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Informed Opinion will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. DCC donations are performed in Canada according to internationally accepted protocols and account for approximately 30 per cent of all organ donors. The decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapy must be independent of any decision to donate organs for transplantation. Discussions regarding organ donation should not occur until the decision to withdraw life-sustaining medical therapy has been made. Additionally, physicians involved in the initial patient care and withdrawal of life-sustaining therapy must not be involved in organ recovery surgery or transplantation. These safeguards ensure against real or perceived conflicts for care providers between their primary duty to provide care for critically ill patients and their societal responsibility to support organ donation. Amidst the exposure of errors in the U.S., it is prudent to highlight that there are important system differences that make similar errors less likely in Canada. Notably, organ donation organizations such as B.C. Transplant and Ontario's Trillium Gift of Life Network are not involved in any aspect of patient care until after the decision to withdraw life-sustaining therapy. Nonetheless, the cases in the U.S. provide an opportunity to reflect on potential improvements to strengthen our system in Canada. In the American cases, adherence to care protocols was compromised, smaller hospitals (where organ donations are infrequent) were involved, and systems to address concerns were slow and insufficient. While excellent online learning resources exist in Canada, further educational investments are needed to ensure all providers caring for critically ill patients are knowledgeable of organ donation protocols. Similarly, provincial organ donation organizations must be appropriately funded to attract, train and retain health-care professionals with the necessary expertise to perform their duties according to best practices. The biggest challenge is ensuring appropriate oversight of our provincially administered systems. Canada should follow the lead of most G7 countries and establish a federally funded and regulated framework for organ transplantation. However, the events in the U.S. demonstrate that the mere existence of a national regulatory body does not ensure safety. There is ample evidence that safety and quality are best achieved through the creation of learning health systems rather than relying on regulatory oversight. Every provincial organ donation organization in Canada performs case reviews to monitor adherence to care standards. However, independent mechanisms to rapidly identify and address potential concerns should be implemented. Federal government support to facilitate regular quality assurance activities between provincial organ donation organizations is needed to ensure adherence to best practices. There is a critical need for organ donors in Canada as the waiting lists grow and Canadians die while waiting. However, the quality of our organ donation services should not be measured by the number of organ donors but by the provision of care that respects all human life while providing safe opportunities for organ donation in a system that is trusted by donor families and all Canadians. Canadian and U.S. systems are fundamentally different, and while our system has safeguards, it does not have national oversight and, like all systems, it is not immune to errors. The recent U.S. experience should prompt new investments to further strengthen our system to ensure the confidence of Canadians to continue to provide the gift of life. Dr. John Gill is a professor of medicine at the University of B.C., a kidney transplant doctor at St. Paul's Hospital in Vancouver, and past president of the American Society of Transplantation. Dr. Anthony Jevnikar is emeritus professor of medicine, surgery and immunology at the University of Western Ontario, a retired transplant physician, and past president of the Canadian Society of Transplantation.
a day ago
Tick-borne Rocky Mountain spotted fever spreading in Canada
Quebec has reported its first case of the potentially deadly tick-borne disease Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The disease has also been reported in dogs in Ontario. Here's what you need to know about preventing, identifying and treating the disease. What is Rocky Mountain spotted fever? Rocky Mountain spotted fever is a disease caused by the bacteria Rickettsia ricketssiae. Symptoms in humans can include fever, headache, nausea or vomiting, stomach pain, muscle pain and lack of appetite. The disease is named for the red rash that develops two to four days after the fever begins. The rash can range from pinpoint dots to red splotches (new window) . The disease can be treated with the common antibiotic doxycyclone, and most people make a full recovery. But it can be deadly in five to 10 per cent of cases in the U.S. even with treatment, reports the U.S.-based Cleveland Clinic (new window) . Without treatment, one in four people die of the disease (new window) . WATCH | Researchers try to curb tick populations as diseases spread: Dogs can also get Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Dr. Scott Weese, director of the Centre for Public Health and Zoonese at the University of Guelph, said symptoms in dogs include fever, malaise, enlarged lymph nodes, loss of appetite and muscle aches that make the animals reluctant to move. The rash can sometimes be seen inside the dog's mouth. As with humans, the disease can be deadly in dogs, and Weese said one of the first dogs identified with the disease in Ontario died of it. How is it transmitted? It can't be transmitted from person to person. It's only acquired from tick bites — typically the American dog tick (new window) ( Demacentor variabilis) , which is found from eastern Alberta to Nova Scotia, especially in the southern parts of those provinces. Enlarge image (new window) An American dog tick (dermacentor variabilis) is the kind of tick that transmits Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Photo: The Canadian Press / U.S. Centers of Disease Control Weese says despite its name, it doesn't target dogs specifically, but a variety of large mammals, including humans. Previously, people didn't worry about American dog ticks because they didn't carry Lyme disease, which people get from the blacklegged or deer tick. Now we're having to change our tune a little bit, realizing that this tick might not be as benign as we thought around here, Weese said. Like black-legged ticks, American dog ticks are found in grassy and wooded areas. Enlarge image (new window) Dr. Scott Weese, a professor at Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, poses with his dog Merlin. Weese said tick-preventive treatments in dogs can reduce the risk of tick-borne illnesses. Photo: Scott Weese Ticks can also hitch-hike between dogs or from dogs to humans — something Weese thinks happened to him the other day with his own dog at home. Other ticks that can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever include the Rocky Mountain wood tick ( Dermacentor andersoni ) and the brown dog tick ( Rhicephalus sanguineus ). Where is the disease found? The U.S. sees 6,000 cases per year, especially in North Carolina, Tennessee, Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma, the Cleveland Clinic reports. In Canada, the disease was known but rare in B.C., with an incidence of one case per 500,000 people in 2019 (new window) . WATCH | Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise. Here's what to look out for: There have been occasional cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever reported in other parts of the country. A 73-year-old woman was diagnosed with the disease in 2023 (new window) after travelling from Saskatchewan to Ontario, and being in contact with her son's two dogs in Ottawa. The Ottawa doctors who saw the case said the disease's expansion north into areas where it hadn't been seen before was likely linked to milder winters and hotter, drier summers linked to climate change, which allow ticks to expand their range. Earlier this year, a cluster of cases in dogs was linked to Long Point Provincial Park on Lake Erie in Ontario. Weese said such a large group in a small area was a surprise. That would suggest that this is quite well-established, at least in some areas. LISTEN | Rocky Mountain spotted fever found at Long Point (new window) This week, Dr. Alex Carignan, a microbiologist and infectious disease specialist with the regional health authority in Estrie, Que., reported a "recent" case in the province's Eastern Townships (new window) . Weese noted the Quebec case also seems to have been locally acquired, raising questions about how far the disease has spread in Canada. Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious disease specialist based at Toronto General Hospital, said the Ontario dog infections and the detection of Rickettsia bacteria in ticks north of the border had shown that the disease was already in Canada. The real question is how much of it is here and what's the geographic distribution. He added that other tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis have spread more widely over recent years as shorter, warmer winters allow tick populations to push north. What should people do to protect themselves and their pets? Both Bogoch and Weese recommend people take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks. This can include staying on trails and away from places such as long grass and leaf litter; wearing long sleeves, long pants and insect repellent when possible while in areas where ticks might be; checking for ticks on themselves and their dogs after visiting such areas; and removing ticks promptly if found. Weese said people with dogs are at higher risk because they're more likely to walk in areas with higher risk of tick exposure and because dogs can sometimes bring ticks into homes in their fur. Scott Weese found this American dog tick on his dog Ozzie. Dogs can often track ticks into homes, potentially allowing them to hitchhike to other dogs or humans. Photo: Scott Weese Giving dogs oral or topical tick preventive medications can greatly reduce the risk of exposure, Weese said. However, it doesn't replace other measures, and may not be as effective with Rocky Mountain spotted fever as it is with Lyme disease, since the former is transmitted more quickly. Bogoch said health-care workers should be aware there are tick-transmitted diseases beyond Lyme that they should look out for, so that suspected cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be treated immediately. Weese recommended that if people or their pets fall ill after visiting wooded or grassy areas that might have ticks or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, they should mention the possible exposure to their doctor or vet to ensure prompt diagnosis and treatment. He also noted that while people should be aware of these diseases, they're still rare in Canada. Canada hasn't been the hot spot for any of these ticks or their diseases in the past, and they won't be the hot spot compared to the U.S. But we're a hotter spot than we were. Emily Chung (new window) · CBC News · Science, Climate, Environment Reporter Emily Chung covers science, the environment and climate for CBC News. She has previously worked as a digital journalist for CBC Ottawa and as an occasional producer at CBC's Quirks & Quarks. She has a PhD in chemistry from the University of British Columbia. In 2019, she was part of the team that won a Digital Publishing Award for best newsletter for What on Earth. You can email story ideas to Subscribe to the What on Earth newsletter (new window) With files from Jaela Bernstien
Montreal Gazette
a day ago
- Montreal Gazette
First case of tick-borne Rocky Mountain spotted fever discovered in Quebec
In the latest sign of climate change affecting human health in Quebec, authorities on Monday confirmed the first case in the province of Rocky Mountain spotted fever — a potentially life-threatening tick-borne illness more commonly found in southern regions of the United States that is now making its way into Canada amid rising temperatures. 'We are aware of the situation and are monitoring it closely to obtain more information about the presence of this disease in Quebec,' a Health Ministry spokesperson told The Gazette. 'In the meantime, the best way to protect yourself against ticks is to avoid being bitten by taking preventive measures ' like wearing pants and long sleeves when venturing outdoors and using mosquito repellant. Dr. Alex Carignan, a microbiologist and infectious diseases specialist at the CIUSSS de l'Estrie, took to social media to inform the public about the case. 'Recently, we identified a case of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) infection in the Eastern Townships,' Carignan said in a post on X. 'This is the first case of transmission in Quebec. Fortunately, the patient responded well to doxycycline (antibiotic) treatment. This infection causes high fevers, a distinctive rash, and can lead to death if not properly managed. 'We knew that this bacterium (Rickettsia rickettsiae) would arrive in the coming years, but unfortunately it showed up a bit earlier than expected,' Carignan added. Infections transmises par les tiques: une nouvelle venue au Québec. Récemment, nous avons identifé un cas d'infection à la fièvre pourprée des montagnes rocheuses ("rocky mountain spotted fever") acquis en Estrie. Il s'agit du premier cas de transmission au Québec.… — Alex Carignan (@carignan_alex) August 18, 2025 Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an infectious diseases physician and scientist at the University Health Network in Toronto, noted that RMSF was 'recently also seen in dogs in Long Point, Ont.,' on the north shore of Lake Erie. 'RMSF is an uncommon but very serious tick-borne infection,' Bogoch added on X. RMSF is not to be confused with Lyme disease, which is an infection that can also be contracted from tick bites. In contrast with RMSF's local rarity, Lyme disease has now become endemic on the island of Montreal. Yet only a decade ago, Lyme disease was considered somewhat of a rare occurrence in Montreal. The outlook for RMSF is good if treated early. Still, the death rate from RMSF hovers between five and 10 per cent in the U.S., even with treatment, according to the Cleveland Clinic. A 2019 study by Quebec and Manitoba researchers warned that the risk of tick-borne diseases in Canada was expected to rise in the coming years because of climate change. 'Climate warming and other environmental changes have contributed to the expansion of the range of several tick species into higher latitudes in North America,' the authors concluded in the study. 'As temperatures increase in Canada, the environment becomes more suitable for ticks and the season suitable for tick activity lengthens, so tick-borne diseases are likely to become more common in Canada. In addition to Lyme disease, four other tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have started to emerge and are likely to increase: Anaplasmosis; Babesiosis; Powassan virus; and Borrelia miyamotoi disease. Increased temperature increases the survival and activity period of ticks, increases the range of both reservoir and tick hosts (e.g. mice and deer) and increases the duration of the season when people may be exposed to ticks.' And now authorities can add Rocky Mountain spotted fever to that list. Climate change is not just responsible for the spread of TBDs into Canada harming human health. Lingering smoke from wildfires in northern Quebec and the Prairie provinces — which are becoming more common because of human-induced climate change creating ever-hotter and drier weather conditions — is resulting in more respiratory and other illnesses. In July, the Association québécoise des médecins pour l'environnement sounded the alarm about the deleterious long-term effects on Quebecers' health due to their chronic exposure to polluted air. And during the heat wave last week, Montreal public health officials confirmed three heat-related deaths and two cases of heatstroke. On Aug. 11, Montreal set a new temperature record of 35.1 C at Trudeau airport. This story was originally published
