Tick surveillance in Canada: Infographic 2020

Organization: Public Health Agency of Canada

Date published: Feb 2023

Pub.: 220777

Highlights from the 2020 report on blacklegged and western blacklegged ticks

The risk from tick bites

• Most blacklegged ticks are found in central and eastern Canada
• Western blacklegged ticks are found in British Columbia
• Ticks get infected by feeding on an infected animal or bird
• Infected ticks can bite humans or animals and can spread diseases like Lyme disease, or less commonly:
• anaplasmosis
• babesiosis
• Powassan virus disease

Type of tick surveillance used

Passive and active surveillance methods were used to collect data on ticks in Canada.

Passive surveillance:

• Ticks (or their images) collected from people or pets that healthcare professionals, veterinarians or the public submit voluntarily

Active surveillance:

• Ticks collected from their natural habitat using field study methods such as dragging a piece of fabric along the ground (drag sampling)

Findings from passive surveillance

• 8,252 ticks were submitted in 9 provinces
• Infected ticks were found in 7 provinces
• 7,534 blacklegged ticks were found
• About 1 in 6 ticks carried the bacteria that causes Lyme disease
• About 1 in 115 ticks carried the bacteria that causes anaplasmosis
• About 1 in 204 ticks carried the bacteria that causes Borrelia miyamotoi disease
• About 1 in 5000 ticks carried the parasite that causes babesiosis
• 718 western blacklegged ticks were found
• About 1 in 705 ticks carried the bacteria that causes Borrelia miyamotoi disease
• No ticks carried the bacteria that causes Lyme disease

Seasonality of ticks

• Most blacklegged ticks were submitted from April to June and October to November
• Most western blacklegged ticks were submitted from March to June

Findings from active surveillance

• 45 sites visited in 3 provinces
• Infected ticks collected in 3 provinces
• 688 blacklegged ticks were found (5 ticks were not tested)
• About 1 in 3 ticks carried the bacteria that causes Lyme disease
• About 1 in 22 ticks carried the bacteria that causes anaplasmosis
• About 1 in 228 ticks carried the bacteria that causes Borrelia miyamotoi disease
• 1 in 683 ticks carried the virus that causes Powassan virus disease
• 1 in 683 ticks carried the parasite that causes babesiosis
• No western blacklegged ticks were found

How to prevent and protect from tick bites

To protect yourself from tick exposure, you can:

• cover exposed skin
• use insect repellent with DEET or Icaridin
• remove ticks using clean, fine-point tweezers
• do a full body check for ticks after being outside

To reduce your environmental risk:

• clear leaf litter
• keep lawns maintained

To protect your pets:

• talk to your veterinarian about tick bite and Lyme disease prevention