Montreal's Lyme Disease Cases Hit 22-Year High
Health officials warn of increasing tick risk even in urban areas as 161 cases were reported last year.
Montreal's public health department is sounding the alarm: Lyme disease cases hit 161 last year, the highest count since the disease became reportable in Quebec in 2003.
The warning extends beyond the city's urban core. While the Eastern Townships remain the provincial hotspot — 385 cases out of 859 reported province-wide in 2025 — health officials stress that ticks carrying Lyme disease are now appearing in Montreal itself, even in neighborhoods far from forest zones.
Climate change is accelerating the problem. Warming temperatures have expanded the range of tick habitats, and officials expect the trend to continue. The disease itself, transmitted by infected blacklegged ticks, can cause joint pain, fatigue, and neurological complications if left untreated.
The Montreal Regional Public Health Department is urging residents to check themselves for ticks after time outdoors, wear protective clothing in wooded areas, and seek medical attention if symptoms emerge — fever, rash, joint pain within weeks of a tick bite. The problem is no longer just a summer camp concern; it's a year-round urban health issue.