Lyme disease is on the rise according to some experts

Every year, hundreds of Canadians are diagnosed with Lyme disease. According to Lyme disease advocates thousands are living with illness caused by a tick bite it without even knowing they have it.

CHCH News followed up Wednesday with Shelby Macneil, the subject of a previous report who is fighting Lyme disease.

She is currently getting treatment from a Naturopathic Doctor in St. Catharines but each day is a challenge.

“Everyday is extremely hard. I have chronic fatigue, all my symptoms are unbearable, brain fog, memory problems. I feel helpless, even if I have an issue and I go to the hospital, they don’t even look at me like there’s anything wrong.”

The Public Health Agency of Canada says  the number of people infected with Lyme disease in 2013 is expected to be more than 500. But Jim Wilson, President of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation says the figure is more likely in the tens of thousands.

“It’s because of the attitudes of the front-line physicians, who’ve been misinformed all along the way about the disease and who have far too much confidence in a test that is terribly inadequate.”

Wilson says the test for Lyme disease only looks for one strand compared to private labs in the United States who look for more.

Some experts have a problem with the comparison. They say a positive test result in Canada requires the presence of at least three bacteria-fighting anti-bodies, while private labs in the U.S have lowered the number to between one and two, leading many people to believe they have the disease when they might not.

Although there may be a disagreement on how this disease is handled, most agree the tick population in Canada is on the rise. They stress the importance of covering up and taking appropriate measures to prevent bites.

There is a glimmer of hope for sufferers like Shelby Macneil. The Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, Humber River Hospital in Toronto and the Gabe Magnotta Foundation are on schedule to complete a Lyme disease centre by the fall of 2015.