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Logan JJ, Sawada M, Knudby A, Ramsay T, Blanford JI, Ogden NH, Kulkarni MA. Knowledge, protective behaviours, and perception of Lyme disease in an area of emerging risk: results from a cross-sectional survey of adults in Ottawa, Ontario. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:867. [PMID: 38509528 PMCID: PMC10956326 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18348-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of Lyme disease risk areas in Canada is growing. In regions with emerging tick populations, it is important to emphasize peridomestic risk and the importance of protective behaviours in local public health communication. This study aims to identify characteristics associated with high levels of Lyme disease knowledge and adoption of protective behaviours among residents in the Ottawa, Ontario region. METHODS A geographically stratified web survey was conducted in November 2020 (n = 2018) to determine knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding Lyme disease among adult residents. Responses were used to calculate: (i) composite scores for knowledge and adoption of protective practices; and (ii) an exposure risk index based on reported activity in woodlands during the spring-to-fall tick exposure risk period. RESULTS 60% of respondents had a high knowledge of Lyme disease, yet only 14% indicated they often use five or more measures to protect themselves. Factors strongly associated with a high level of Lyme disease knowledge included being 55 or older (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.04), living on a property with a yard (OR = 3.22), having a high exposure index (OR = 1.59), and knowing someone previously infected with Lyme disease (OR = 2.05). Strong associations with the adoption of a high number of protective behaviours were observed with membership in a non-Indigenous racialized group (OR = 1.70), living on a property with a yard (OR = 2.37), previous infection with Lyme disease (OR = 2.13), prior tick bite exposure (OR = 1.62), and primarily occupational activity in wooded areas (OR = 2.31). CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the dynamics between Lyme disease knowledge, patterns of exposure risk awareness, and vigilance of personal protection in a Canadian region with emerging Lyme disease risk. Notably, this study identified gaps between perceived local risk and protective behaviours, presenting opportunities for targeted enhanced communication efforts in areas of Lyme disease emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J Logan
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
| | - Michael Sawada
- Laboratory for Applied Geomatics and GIS Science (LAGGISS), Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Anders Knudby
- Department of Geography, Environment & Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tim Ramsay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Justine I Blanford
- Department of Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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2
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Logan JJ, Hoi AG, Sawada M, Knudby A, Ramsay T, Blanford JI, Ogden NH, Kulkarni MA. Risk factors for Lyme disease resulting from residential exposure amidst emerging Ixodes scapularis populations: A neighbourhood-level analysis of Ottawa, Ontario. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0290463. [PMID: 37616268 PMCID: PMC10449184 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease is an emerging health threat in Canada due to the continued northward expansion of the main tick vector, Ixodes scapularis. It is of particular concern to populations living in expanding peri-urban areas where residential development and municipal climate change response impact neighbourhood structure and composition. The objective of this study was to estimate associations of socio-ecological characteristics with residential Lyme disease risk at the neighbourhood scale. We used Lyme disease case data for 2017-2020 reported for Ottawa, Ontario to determine where patients' residential property, or elsewhere within their neighbourhood, was the suspected site of tick exposure. Cases meeting this exposure definition (n = 118) were aggregated and linked to neighbourhood boundaries. We calculated landscape characteristics from composited and classified August 2018 PlanetScope satellite imagery. Negative binomial generalized linear models guided by a priori hypothesized relationships explored the association between hypothesized interactions of landscape structure and the outcome. Increases in median household income, the number of forest patches, the proportion of forested area, forest edge density, and mean forest patch size were associated with higher residential Lyme disease incidence at the neighbourhood scale, while increases in forest shape complexity and average distance to forest edge were associated with reduced incidence (P<0.001). Among Ottawa neighbourhoods, the combined effect of forest shape complexity and average forest patch size was associated with higher residential Lyme disease incidence (P<0.001). These findings suggest that Lyme disease risk in residential settings is associated with urban design elements. This is particularly relevant in urban centres where local ecological changes may impact the presence of emerging tick populations and how residents interact with tick habitat. Further research into the mechanistic underpinnings of these associations would be an asset to both urban development planning and public health management.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J. Logan
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Amber Gigi Hoi
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Sawada
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Laboratory for Applied Geomatics and GIS Science, Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anders Knudby
- Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tim Ramsay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Justine I. Blanford
- Department of Earth Observation Science, Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Manisha A. Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Mathison BA, Pritt BS. The Landscape of Parasitic Infections in the United States. Mod Pathol 2023; 36:100217. [PMID: 37182583 DOI: 10.1016/j.modpat.2023.100217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The landscape of parasitic infections in the United States has shifted dramatically over the past century. Although infections such as malaria have been successfully eliminated, others remain endemic and pose a significant public health risk. Numerous parasitic infections are also imported each year. This article focuses on endemic parasitic infections that may be commonly seen in anatomical pathology preparations and discusses their biology, diagnostic histopathological features, and epidemiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blaine A Mathison
- Institute for Clinical and Experimental Pathology, ARUP Laboratories, Salt Lake City, Utah
| | - Bobbi S Pritt
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Divisions of Clinical Microbiology and Anatomic Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
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4
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Burde J, Bloch EM, Kelly JR, Krause PJ. Human Borrelia miyamotoi Infection in North America. Pathogens 2023; 12:553. [PMID: 37111439 PMCID: PMC10145171 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12040553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Borrelia miyamotoi is an emerging pathogen that causes a febrile illness and is transmitted by the same hard-bodied (ixodid) ticks that transmit several other pathogens, including Borrelia species that cause Lyme disease. B. miyamotoi was discovered in 1994 in Ixodes persulcatus ticks in Japan. It was first reported in humans in 2011 in Russia. It has subsequently been reported in North America, Europe, and Asia. B. miyamotoi infection is widespread in Ixodes ticks in the northeastern, northern Midwestern, and far western United States and in Canada. In endemic areas, human B. miyamotoi seroprevalence averages from 1 to 3% of the population, compared with 15 to 20% for B. burgdorferi. The most common clinical manifestations of B. miyamotoi infection are fever, fatigue, headache, chills, myalgia, arthralgia, and nausea. Complications include relapsing fever and rarely, meningoencephalitis. Because clinical manifestations are nonspecific, diagnosis requires laboratory confirmation by PCR or blood smear examination. Antibiotics are effective in clearing infection and are the same as those used for Lyme disease, including doxycycline, tetracycline, erythromycin, penicillin, and ceftriaxone. Preventive measures include avoiding areas where B. miyamotoi-infected ticks are found, landscape management, and personal protective strategies such as protective clothing, use of acaricides, and tick checks with rapid removal of embedded ticks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jed Burde
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Evan M. Bloch
- Division of Transfusion Medicine, Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21217, USA
| | - Jill R. Kelly
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Peter J. Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
- Department of Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
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5
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Slatculescu AM, Pugliese M, Sander B, Zinszer K, Nelder MP, Russell CB, Kulkarni MA. Rurality, Socioeconomic Status, and Residence in Environmental Risk Areas Associated with Increased Lyme Disease Incidence in Ontario, Canada: A Case-Control Study. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2022; 22:572-581. [PMID: 36378243 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Lyme disease (LD) is the most common tick-borne illness in North America. LD is acquired through exposure to the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis, known as the blacklegged tick. In Canada, LD is rapidly emerging, with the establishment of I. scapularis in many newly endemic regions posing a growing risk to local communities. In the Canadian context, many environmental and socioeconomic risk factors for human LD infection are yet to be ascertained and the degree of risk associated with residential and community exposure to ticks is not well known. Methods: We conducted a matched case-control study in southeastern Ontario, using LD patient data from provincial laboratory databases and uninfected population controls from 2014 to 2018. We aimed to identify area-level risk factors for LD and associations with residence in environmental risk areas, defined as areas with high model-predicted probability of I. scapularis occurrence, using the neighborhood dissemination area as the unit of analysis. Results: Using multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis, we identified that patients with LD had higher odds (odds ratio, OR; 95% confidence interval, CI) of living in neighborhoods with high probability of tick occurrence in the environment (OR = 2.2; 95% CI: 2.0-2.5), low walkability (OR = 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2-2.1), low material deprivation (OR = 1.4; 95% CI: 1.2-1.7), and low ethnic concentration (OR = 8.1; 95% CI: 6.7-9.9). We also found that the odds of LD infection for individuals residing in environmental risk areas was highest for those living in public health units (PHUs) with <250,000 population (OR = 3.0; 95% CI: 2.4-3.9) compared to those living in PHUs with >1,000,000 population (OR = 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-2.1). Conclusion: This study shows that odds of human LD infection in Ontario, Canada is higher in less urbanized areas with higher socioeconomic status and indicates that exposure to ticks around the home residence or neighborhood is linked to increased odds of LD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea M Slatculescu
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Michael Pugliese
- ICES uOttawa, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Beate Sander
- Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Canada.,ICES Central, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kate Zinszer
- École de Santé Publique, Département de Médecine Sociale et Préventive, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | | | | | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
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6
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Molecular characterization of Rickettsia spp., Bartonella spp., and Anaplasma phagocytophilum in hard ticks collected from wild animals in Benin, West Africa. Trop Anim Health Prod 2022; 54:306. [DOI: 10.1007/s11250-022-03286-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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7
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Yessinou RE, Cazan CD, Bonnet SI, Farougou S, Mihalca AD. Geographical distribution of hard ticks (Acari:Ixodidae) and tick-host associations in Benin, Burkina-Faso, Ivory-Coast and Togo. Acta Trop 2022; 232:106510. [PMID: 35568068 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Knowledge of ticks and associated pathogens is crucial to assess the risk of exposure of humans and animals to pathogens. For this review, we collected relevant data from published articles and field collections to provide an update on the biodiversity of ticks, and tick-host associations in four countries of West Africa: Benin, Burkina-Faso, Ivory-Coast, and Togo. The literature review was done according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. The search was limited to literature published from 1953 to 2021 in English and French sources. Out of 104 articles retrieved, only 41 studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. The final database included a total of 53,619 adults, nymphs and larval ticks belonging to 24 species and five genera (Amblyomma, Haemaphysalis, Hyalomma, Ixodes and Rhipicephalus) that were collected from 23 different species of wild and domestic animals. This is the first record of Ixodes aulacodi and Rhipicephalus simpsoni in Benin, together with two new host records for A. latum. This checklist allows an update on tick-host associations and provides information on the diversity of ticks in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Eric Yessinou
- Communicable Disease Research Unit (URMaT), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin, 01 Po. Box: 2009, Cotonou, Benin.
| | - Cristina Daniela Cazan
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania; CDS-9 Molecular Biology and Veterinary Parasitology Unit, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Sarah Irène Bonnet
- Functional Genetics of Infectious Diseases Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 2000, Université de Paris, 75015, Paris, France; Animal Health Department, INRAE, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Souaïbou Farougou
- Communicable Disease Research Unit (URMaT), University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin, 01 Po. Box: 2009, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Andrei Daniel Mihalca
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, 3-5 Calea Mănăştur, 400372, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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8
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Slatculescu AM, Duguay C, Ogden NH, Sander B, Desjardins M, Cameron DW, Kulkarni MA. Spatiotemporal trends and socioecological factors associated with Lyme disease in eastern Ontario, Canada from 2010-2017. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:736. [PMID: 35418084 PMCID: PMC9006558 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13167-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, there is limited knowledge about socioeconomic, neighbourhood, and local ecological factors that contribute to the growing Lyme disease incidence in the province of Ontario, Canada. In this study, we sought to identify these factors that play an important role at the local scale, where people are encountering ticks in their communities. We used reported human Lyme disease case data and tick surveillance data submitted by the public from 2010–2017 to analyze trends in tick exposure, spatiotemporal clusters of infection using the spatial scan statistic and Local Moran’s I statistic, and socioecological risk factors for Lyme disease using a multivariable negative binomial regression model. Data were analyzed at the smallest geographic unit, consisting of 400–700 individuals, for which census data are disseminated in Canada. We found significant heterogeneity in tick exposure patterns based on location of residence, with 65.2% of Lyme disease patients from the city of Ottawa reporting tick exposures outside their health unit of residence, compared to 86.1%—98.1% of patients from other, largely rural, health units, reporting peri-domestic exposures. We detected eight spatiotemporal clusters of human Lyme disease incidence in eastern Ontario, overlapping with three clusters of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks. When adjusting for population counts, Lyme disease case counts increased with larger numbers of Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks submitted by the public, higher proportion of treed landcover, lower neighbourhood walkability due to fewer intersections, dwellings, and points of interest, as well as with regions of higher residential instability and lower ethnic concentration (Relative Risk [RR] = 1.25, 1.02, 0.67–0.04, 1.34, and 0.57, respectively, p < .0001). Our study shows that there are regional differences in tick exposure patterns in eastern Ontario and that multiple socioecological factors contribute to Lyme disease risk in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreea M Slatculescu
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada.
| | - Claudia Duguay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Nicholas H Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Beate Sander
- Toronto Health Economics and Technology Assessment Collaborative, University Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada.,ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marc Desjardins
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Division of Microbiology, Eastern Ontario Regional Laboratory Association, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - D William Cameron
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Chronic Disease Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
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9
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Talbot B, Leighton PA, Kulkarni MA. Genetic Melting Pot in Blacklegged Ticks at the Northern Edge of their Expansion Front. J Hered 2021; 111:371-378. [PMID: 32609830 PMCID: PMC7423068 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esaa017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) are considered to be the main vector of Lyme disease in eastern North America. They may parasitize a wide range of bird and mammal hosts. Northward dispersal of blacklegged ticks has been attributed largely to movement of hosts to areas outside of the current range of the tick, in conjunction with climate change. To better understand the drivers of range expansion in the blacklegged tick, we need investigations of the genetic connectivity and differentiation of tick populations at a fine spatial scale using appropriate markers. In this study, we investigated genetic connectivity and differentiation in blacklegged ticks, in an area of putatively recent advance in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, using microsatellite markers. Our findings suggest patchy differentiation of alleles, no spatial pattern of genetic structure, and genetic subdivision within sites, which are consistent with the very limited evidence available near the leading edge of range expansion of blacklegged ticks into Canada. These findings are consistent with the prevailing hypothesis, drawn from a variety of fields of study, suggesting that migratory birds from a variety of regions may be bringing hitchhiking ticks northward into Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit Talbot
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Patrick A Leighton
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Sainte-Hyacinthe, QC, Canada
| | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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10
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Burrows H, Talbot B, McKay R, Slatculescu A, Logan J, Thickstun C, Lindsay LR, Dibernardo A, Koffi JK, Ogden NH, Kulkarni MA. A multi-year assessment of blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) population establishment and Lyme disease risk areas in Ottawa, Canada, 2017-2019. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246484. [PMID: 33539458 PMCID: PMC7861446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Canadians face an emerging threat of Lyme disease due to the northward expansion of the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis. We evaluated the degree of I. scapularis population establishment and Borrelia burgdorferi occurrence in the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada from 2017–2019 using active surveillance at 28 sites. We used a field indicator tool developed by Clow et al. to determine the risk of I. scapularis establishment for each tick cohort at each site using the results of drag sampling. Based on results obtained with the field indicator tool, we assigned each site an ecological classification describing the pattern of tick colonization over two successive cohorts (cohort 1 was comprised of ticks collected in fall 2017 and spring 2018, and cohort 2 was collected in fall 2018 and spring 2019). Total annual site-specific I. scapularis density ranged from 0 to 16.3 ticks per person-hour. Sites with the highest density were located within the Greenbelt zone, in the suburban/rural areas in the western portion of the city of Ottawa, and along the Ottawa River; the lowest densities occurred at sites in the suburban/urban core. B. burgdorferi infection rates exhibited a similar spatial distribution pattern. Of the 23 sites for which data for two tick cohorts were available, 11 sites were classified as “high-stable”, 4 were classified as “emerging”, 2 were classified as “low-stable”, and 6 were classified as “non-zero”. B. burgdorferi-infected ticks were found at all high-stable sites, and at one emerging site. These findings suggest that high-stable sites pose a risk of Lyme disease exposure to the community as they have reproducing tick populations with consistent levels of B. burgdorferi infection. Continued surveillance for I. scapularis, B. burgdorferi, and range expansion of other tick species and emerging tick-borne pathogens is important to identify areas posing a high risk for human exposure to tick-borne pathogens in the face of ongoing climate change and urban expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Burrows
- Yale School of Public Health, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benoit Talbot
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roman McKay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andreea Slatculescu
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - James Logan
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles Thickstun
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - L. Robbin Lindsay
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Antonia Dibernardo
- Zoonotic Diseases and Special Pathogens Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Jules K. Koffi
- Centre for Foodborne, Environmental and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Manisha A. Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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11
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Microbiome Composition and Borrelia Detection in Ixodes scapularis Ticks at the Northwestern Edge of Their Range. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5:tropicalmed5040173. [PMID: 33218113 PMCID: PMC7709646 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed5040173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lyme disease-causing Borrelia burgdorferi has been reported in 10–19% of Ixodes ticks from Alberta, Canada, where the tick vector Ixodes scapularis is at the northwestern edge of its range. However, the presence of Borrelia has not been verified independently, and the bacterial microbiome of these ticks has not been described. We performed 16S rRNA bacterial surveys on female I. scapularis from Alberta that were previously qPCR-tested in a Lyme disease surveillance program. Both 16S and qPCR methods were concordant for the presence of Borrelia. The 16S studies also provided a profile of associated bacteria that showed the microbiome of I. scapularis in Alberta was similar to other areas of North America. Ticks that were qPCR-positive for Borrelia had significantly greater bacterial diversity than Borrelia-negative ticks, on the basis of generalized linear model testing. This study adds value to ongoing tick surveillance and is a foundation for deeper understanding of tick microbial ecology and disease transmission in a region where I. scapularis range expansion, induced by climate and land use changes, is likely to have increasing public health implications.
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12
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Slatculescu AM, Clow KM, McKay R, Talbot B, Logan JJ, Thickstun CR, Jardine CM, Ogden NH, Knudby AJ, Kulkarni MA. Species distribution models for the eastern blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, and the Lyme disease pathogen, Borrelia burgdorferi, in Ontario, Canada. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0238126. [PMID: 32915794 PMCID: PMC7485816 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis, is established in several regions of Ontario, Canada, and continues to spread into new geographic areas across the province at a rapid rate. This poses a significant public health risk since I. scapularis transmits the Lyme disease-causing bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, and other pathogens of potential public health concern. The objective of this study was to develop species distribution models for I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi to predict and compare the potential distributions of the tick vector and the Lyme disease pathogen as well as the ecological factors most important for species establishment. Ticks were collected via tick dragging at 120 sites across southern, central, and eastern Ontario between 2015 and 2018 and tested for tick-borne pathogens. A maximum entropy (Maxent) approach was used to model the potential distributions of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi. Two independent datasets derived from tick dragging at 25 new sites in 2019 and ticks submitted by the public to local health units between 2015 and 2017 were used to validate the predictive accuracy of the models. The model for I. scapularis showed high suitability for blacklegged ticks in eastern Ontario and some regions along the shorelines of the Great Lakes, and moderate suitability near Algonquin Provincial Park and the Georgian Bay with good predictive accuracy (tick dragging 2019: AUC = 0.898; ticks from public: AUC = 0.727). The model for B. burgdorferi showed a similar predicted distribution but was more constrained to eastern Ontario, particularly between Ottawa and Kingston, and along Lake Ontario, with similarly good predictive accuracy (tick dragging 2019: AUC = 0.958; ticks from public: AUC = 0.863. The ecological variables most important for predicting the distributions of I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi included elevation, distance to deciduous and coniferous forest, proportions of agricultural land, water, and infrastructure, mean summer/spring temperature, and cumulative annual degree days above 0°C. Our study presents a novel application of species distribution modelling for I. scapularis and B. burgdorferi in Ontario, Canada, and provides an up to date projection of their potential distributions for public health knowledge users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katie M. Clow
- Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Roman McKay
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Benoit Talbot
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - James J. Logan
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Charles R. Thickstun
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Claire M. Jardine
- Department of Pathobiology, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nicholas H. Ogden
- Public Health Risk Sciences Division, National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anders J. Knudby
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Geomatics, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Manisha A. Kulkarni
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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13
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McKay R, Talbot B, Slatculescu A, Stone A, Kulkarni MA. Woodchip borders at the forest ecotone as an environmental control measure to reduce questing tick density along recreational trails in Ottawa, Canada. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2019; 11:101361. [PMID: 31874797 DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2019.101361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have highlighted the occurrence and distribution of Ixodes scapularis ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) around the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the need for strategies to mitigate the risk of human exposure and infection. We conducted a field study from July to October 2018 to examine the effectiveness of ecotonal woodchip borders as an environmental control method to suppress the density of host-seeking ticks along recreational trails in Ottawa. We used an experimental design with ten 100-m trail replicates randomized to intervention or control groups, and monitored questing tick density at weekly intervals in mid-summer and early fall. We compared questing tick density between woodchip-treated and untreated trails using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model. Of the 138 I. scapularis ticks collected, there were 86 adult and nymphal ticks, 37 (43 %) of which were positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. A total of 58 Haemaphysalis leporispalustris were also collected. Mean combined adult and nymphal I. scapularis density was 1.15 (1.40 standard deviation; SD) per 100 m in the control group compared to 0.28 (0.56 SD) per 100 m in the intervention group, reflecting a 75 % reduction in questing tick density on trail replicates treated with woodchip borders (p < 0.001). An effect of the intervention was observed in both sampling periods. This study indicates that woodchip borders may be an effective strategy to suppress questing tick density along trail margins where recreational trail users are more active, thereby reducing the likelihood of tick encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman McKay
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Benoit Talbot
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Andreea Slatculescu
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Alexander Stone
- National Capital Commission, 202-40 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON, K1P 1C7, Canada
| | - Manisha A Kulkarni
- University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada.
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Landscape determinants of density of blacklegged ticks, vectors of Lyme disease, at the northern edge of their distribution in Canada. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16652. [PMID: 31723147 PMCID: PMC6853933 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50858-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In eastern North America, including Canada, Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto and transmitted to humans by the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. The last decade has seen a growing incidence of Lyme disease in Canada, following the northward range expansion of I. scapularis tick populations from endemic areas in eastern United States. This may be attributable to movement of the many hosts that they parasitize, including songbirds, deer and small mammals. In this study, we wanted to test the effect of spatial, temporal and ecological variables, on blacklegged tick density and infection rates, near the northern limit of their distribution in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. We found an effect of both proportion of forested areas and distance to roads, on density of I. scapularis ticks and prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi. We also found an effect of both sampling year and ordinal sampling data on prevalence of infection by B. burgdorferi. In six adjacent sites showing evidence of reproducing I. scapularis populations, we found that forest composition and structure influenced density of I. scapularis ticks. Our results suggest that blacklegged tick density and infection rate in Canada may be influenced by a variety of factors.
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