Surveillance for Ixodes scapularis and Ixodes pacificus ticks and their associated pathogens in Canada, 2020
Christy Wilson, Salima Gasmi, Annie-Claude Bourgeois, Jacqueline Badcock, Justin Carr, Navdeep Chahil, Heather Coatsworth, Antonia Dibernardo, Priya Goundar, Patrick A. Leighton, Min-Kuang Lee, Muhammad Morshed, Marion Ripoche, Jade Savage, Hanan Smadi, Christa Smolarchuk, Karine Thivierge, Jules K. Koffi
Abstract
Background: ticks are the principal vectors of the agent of Lyme disease and several other tick-borne diseases in Canada. Tick surveillance data can be used to identify local tick-borne disease risk areas and direct public health interventions. The objective of this article is to describe the seasonal and spatial characteristics of the main Lyme disease vectors in Canada, and the tick-borne pathogens they carry, using passive and active surveillance data from 2020. Methods: Passive and active surveillance data were compiled from the National Microbiology Laboratory Branch (Public Health Agency of Canada), provincial and local public health authorities, and eTick (an online, image-based platform). Seasonal and spatial analyses of ticks and their associated pathogens are presented, including infection prevalence estimates. Results: and Powassan virus. Conclusion: and their associated human pathogens in Canada in 2020, which can help assess the risk of exposure to tick-borne pathogens in different provinces.