60 per cent
of Canadians
aren’t sure
our society
is capable
of reducing
carbon
emissions
enough to make
a difference.been camping a few days ear-
lier. She didn’t know it at the
time, but that tick was likely car-
rying bacteria and infected her
when its body was squeezed.
“It wasn’t long after that things
really started to go downhill,”
says Wizbicki. She developed
pain, fatigue, dizziness and other
symptoms that were so severe,
her doctors first ruled out a brain
tumour and multiple sclerosis. After
many months of scans and specialists,
she tested positive for Lyme disease in- Wizbicki, who used to ride horses,
hike trails and travel around the world,
is now on long-term disability leave
with symptoms that often flare up just
from the exertion of taking a shower.
Over 2,000 cases of Lyme disease
were reported nationally in 2017, but
the Public Health Agency of Canada
acknowledges that the actual number
of infections is likely higher. Another
tick-borne disease, anaplasmosis, has
also been proliferating since tracking
began. As Canada heats up, insects that
spread diseases can survive in a wider
range of habitats.
That’s also why we’re seeing hun-
dreds of West Nile viral infections every
year. A large number of patients go
undiagnosed or undocumented, but
the 200 cases reported in 2017 repre-
sent an upswing since 2013, despite
control measures put in place.
“Mosquitoes don’t need a passport
or visa, and they don’t believe in
boundaries,” says Atanu Sarkar,
a Memorial University researcher
who is studying mosquito-borne
diseases. “Climate change is
helping mosquitoes spread their
territory further and further
north, and the virus is moving
along with them.”
Sarkar advises people to con-
tact their local public health
agencies and ask about specific
risks in their regions, but it’s advisable
for everyone to use screens in windows
and pick up litter outside your home.
“Mosquitoes can lay eggs in anything
that collects water—a toy left outside
or a Tim Hortons cup,” he notes. If you
go into the woods, use bug repellent
and keep your legs covered.
Climate change poses problems for
the immune system in other ways, as
well. The one in five Canadians with
respiratory allergies should expect to
feel more miserable for longer periods
of time, as rising carbon dioxide levels
cause plants like ragweed to produce
more pollen, and warmer temperatures
allow other allergenic species, such as
hickory trees, to extend their range.YYYOU DDDONN’TT GETT TTTHE
NNNUTRRRIEENNTTS YYOOU NEEED
Global heating is also taking its toll on
our food. Droughts and violent storms
that damage crops are growing in fre-
quency. That means sticker shock at
northern supermarkets, according toreader’s digest
40 october 2019