Abstract
Climate warming and other environmental changes have contributed to the expansion of the range of several tick species into higher latitudes in North America. As temperatures increase in Canada, the environment becomes more suitable for ticks and the season suitable for tick activity lengthens, so tick-borne diseases are likely to become more common in Canada. In addition to Lyme disease, four other tick-borne diseases (TBDs) have started to emerge and are likely to increase: Anaplasmosis; Babesiosis; Powassan virus; and Borrelia miyamotoi disease. Increased temperature increases the survival and activity period of ticks, increases the range of both reservoir and tick hosts (e.g. mice and deer) and increases the duration of the season when people may be exposed to ticks. Other ticks and TBDs may spread into Canada as the climate changes. The public health strategies to mitigate the impact of all TBDs include surveillance to detect current and emerging TBDs, and public health actions to prevent infections by modifying environmental and social-behavioral risk factors through increasing public awareness. Clinical care strategies include patient education, early detection, laboratory testing, and treatment.
Highlights
Ticks transmit a wide diversity of bacterial, viral and protozoan pathogens in many tropical and temperate regions of the world [1]
The purpose of this overview is to summarize the climate and other environmental changes affecting the risk of ticks and tick-borne diseases (TBDs), identify the ticks and TBDs that are occurring or that may spread into Canada and describe the public health and clinical strategies for the management of ticks and TBDs
At least four other TBDs are emerging in Canada and these are anticipated to increase due to the effects of climate change: Anaplasmosis; Babesiosis; Powassan virus; and Borrelia miyamotoi disease
Summary
Ticks transmit a wide diversity of bacterial, viral and protozoan pathogens in many tropical and temperate regions of the world [1]. At least four other (non-LD) TBDs are emerging in Canada and these are anticipated to increase due to the effects of climate change: Anaplasmosis; Babesiosis; Powassan virus; and Borrelia miyamotoi disease. Anaplasmosis is caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, which is spread by I. scapularis in eastern and central Canada [37] and I. pacificus in British Columbia, and human or animal cases have been reported in most provinces where the ticks occur [38]. The absence of a rash should not rule out a TBD
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