Abstract
BackgroundThe universal nature of the human–companion animal relationship and their shared ticks and tick-borne pathogens offers an opportunity for improving public and veterinary health surveillance. With this in mind, we describe the spatiotemporal trends for blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) submissions from humans and companion animals in Ontario, along with pathogen prevalence.MethodsWe tested tick samples submitted through passive surveillance (2011–2017) from humans and companion animals for Borrelia burgdorferi, Borrelia miyamotoi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia microti. We describe pathogen prevalence in ticks from humans and from companion animals and constructed univariable Poisson and negative binomial regression models to explore the spatiotemporal relationship between the rates of tick submissions by host type.ResultsDuring the study, there were 17,230 blacklegged tick samples submitted from humans and 4375 from companion animals. Tick submission rates from companion animals were higher than expected in several public health units (PHUs) lacking established tick populations, potentially indicating newly emerging populations. Pathogen prevalence in ticks was higher in PHUs where established blacklegged tick populations exist. Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence was higher in ticks collected from humans (maximum likelihood estimate, MLE = 17.5%; 95% confidence interval, CI 16.97–18.09%) than from companion animals (9.9%, 95% CI 9.15–10.78%). There was no difference in pathogen prevalence in ticks by host type for the remaining pathogens, which were found in less than 1% of tested ticks. The most common co-infection B. burgdorferi + B. miyamotoi occurred in 0.11% of blacklegged ticks from humans and animals combined. Borrelia burgdorferi prevalence was higher in unengorged (21.9%, 95% CI 21.12–22.65%) than engorged ticks (10.0%, 95% CI 9.45–10.56%). There were no consistent and significant spatiotemporal relationships detected via regression models between the annual rates of submission of each host type.ConclusionsWhile B. burgdorferi has been present in blacklegged ticks in Ontario for several decades, other tick-borne pathogens are also present at low prevalence. Blacklegged tick and pathogen surveillance data can be used to monitor risk in human and companion animal populations, and efforts are under consideration to unite surveillance efforts for the different target populations.Graphical
Highlights
The universal nature of the human–companion animal relationship and their shared ticks and tickborne pathogens offers an opportunity for improving public and veterinary health surveillance
To assess the public and veterinary health threats posed by blacklegged ticks and their associated pathogens in Ontario, we describe the spatiotemporal trends for blacklegged tick submissions from humans and companion animals, as well as the pathogens identified from ticks (2011–2017, with some variability by pathogen)
public health units (PHU) are further organized into seven health regions: Central East (DUR, Haliburton–Kawartha–Pine Ridge District (HKP), Peel Regional (PEL), Peterborough County-City (PTC), Simcoe Muskoka District (SMD), York Regional (YRK)), Central West (BRN, Halton Regional (HAL), City of Hamilton (HAM), HDN, Niagara Regional (NIA), WAT, WDG), Eastern (EOH, Hastings and Prince Edward Counties (HPE), Kingston-Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL), Leeds-Grenville and Lanark District (LGL), City of Ottawa (OTT), Renfrew County and District (REN)), North East (ALG, North Bay Parry Sound District (NPS), PQP, Sudbury and District (SUD), TSK), North West (NWR, Thunder Bay District (THB)), South West (CHK, Grey Bruce (GBO), Huron County (HUR), LAM, MSL, Oxford Elgin-St. Thomas (OXE), Perth District (PDH), Windsor-Essex County (WEC)) and Toronto (TOR)
Summary
The universal nature of the human–companion animal relationship and their shared ticks and tickborne pathogens offers an opportunity for improving public and veterinary health surveillance. With this in mind, we describe the spatiotemporal trends for blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) submissions from humans and companion animals in Ontario, along with pathogen prevalence. Blacklegged ticks, Ixodes scapularis, transmit pathogens to humans and companion animals, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, the causative agent of Lyme disease. As the distribution of blacklegged ticks continues to expand in North America, aided by climate change and land use change, so does the risk of tick-borne diseases in humans and companion animals [2, 3, 10]
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