Woman airlifted to hospital after receiving tick bite
A woman from Hamilton, Montana had to be airlifted from a local hiking trail after being bitten by a tick Sunday.
Jackie Doyle was with a friend when she suddenly felt a sharp pain on her chest followed by a wave of nausea, NBC reports.
“I felt like my chest was going to start swelling up,” she told the news outlet.
“So I just like cut my sports bra off that I was wearing and I investigated the spot and there was a big red bull’s-eye.”
That's when Doyle found the tick burrowed in her skin.
She tried to leave the trail but didn't have the strength to walk and she began to vomit.
Doyle says she was left alone in the forest for three hours while her friend went to get help. Soon after, a helicopter arrived and airlifted her to the hospital.
She has since been released but told NBC she's still not feeling well.
TICKS AND LYME DISEASE IN CANADA
Not all ticks can cause Lyme disease. There are several types of ticks found in Canada, but only those with black legs can transmit the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi that causes the condition, and only if they are infected with it, according to the Government of Canada's website.
Early detection is one of the best ways to treat Lyme disease.
Experts say the condition is on the rise in Canada and the U.S. due to a combination of ticks expanding northward and warmer weather, which is allowing the arachnids to survive in climates that were previously too cold.
It can take three days to one month for symptoms of Lyme disease to occur. The condition can be successfully treated with antibiotics.
Sources: NBC | Government of Canada
