Surveillance for Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus ticks and their associated pathogens in Canada, 2019
Christy Wilson, Salima Gasmi, Annie‐Claude Bourgeois, Jacqueline Badcock, Navdeep Chahil, Manisha A. Kulkarni, Min-Kuang Lee, L. Robbin Lindsay, Patrick A. Leighton, Muhammad Morshed, Christa Smolarchuk, Jules K. Koffi
Abstract
Background: ticks. Surveillance for ticks and the pathogens they can transmit can inform local tick-borne disease risk and guide public health interventions. The objective of this article is to characterize passive and active surveillance of the main Lyme disease tick vectors in Canada in 2019 and the tick-borne pathogens they carry. Methods: Passive surveillance data were compiled from the National Microbiology Laboratory Branch and provincial public health data sources. Active surveillance was conducted in selected sentinel sites in all provinces. Descriptive analysis of ticks submitted and infection prevalence of tick-borne pathogens are presented. Seasonal and spatial trends are also described. Results: tested. Conclusion: This surveillance article provides a snapshot of the main Lyme disease vectors in Canada and their associated pathogens, which can be used to monitor emerging risk areas for exposure to tick-borne pathogens.