“I had a few meltdowns there where I wasn’t sure if we were losing him.”
That’s how Laura Redman described watching her husband Peter’s health rapidly deteriorate after what first appeared to be an ordinary tick bite.
The Ontario government is urging residents to protect themselves from tick bites this summer as cases of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses continue to rise, according to a Ministry of Health news release.
Peter Redman’s experience is just one of the many cases that are highlighting how serious these infections can become.
“Tick bites are reasonably common around here. I probably get one a month, and we would just pull them off and carry on with our day,” he told Global News.
But within days of this bite, Peter said he developed a high fever and began vomiting, and his blood pressure dropped. Laura said she knew something was seriously wrong when he struggled to walk through their home.
“It was so horrible because he was staggering in the house and falling into walls and I was like, that’s it, we’re going to emerg,” she said in an interview.
Doctors diagnosed Redman with anaplasmosis, a bacterial infection spread by infected blacklegged ticks.
“We already had the bacteria that causes Lyme disease and this is another bacteria that these ticks carry,” Joan Black, a clinical nursing facilitator with Southeast Public Health.
While most people recover with antibiotics, severe infections can lead to organ failure and, in rare cases, death.
Redman spent 10 days in a Kingston hospital.
“At one point my heart rate dipped to about 28 beats per minute and they asked me, ‘What would you like us to do if your heart stops?'”
The province said more than 10,000 cases of Lyme disease have been reported in Ontario since 2021. Since 2023, there have also been more than 300 cases of anaplasmosis, about 20 cases of Powassan virus and 30 cases of babesiosis.
Now out of hospital and recovering at home, the Redmans hope sharing their story encourages others not to dismiss tick bites.
“That was a very scary experience and I’m not going to be blasé about tick bites anymore,” Laura said.
Health officials recommend taking necessary precautions to prevent tick-related illnesses.
“As cases of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses rise and ticks continue to expand into new areas, more Ontarians may be at risk of tick bites,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health.
“Simple precautions can help reduce that risk, including being vigilant in wooded and grassy areas, even close to home, wearing appropriate clothing and doing routine tick checks after spending time outdoors.”
Anyone who develops symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches or a rash after a tick bite should seek medical care.
Based on reporting by Global News.