Active and Passive Surveillance and Phylogenetic Analysis of Borrelia burgdorferi Elucidate the Process of Lyme Disease Risk Emergence in Canada

Author:

Ogden, NH, Bouchard, C, Kurtenbach, K, Margos, G, Lindsay, LR, Trudel, L, Nguon, S, and Milord, F

Publication type:

Journal Article

Publication date:

2010-07

Journal/Series title:

Environ Health Perspect.

Volume:

118

Issue:

Abstract:

In active surveillance, we found I. scapularis at 55% of sites, and we were more likely to find them at sites with a warmer climate. B. burgdorferi was identified at 13 I. scapularis-positive sites, but infection prevalence in ticks and animal hosts was low. Low infection prevalence in ticks submitted in passive surveillance after 2004-from the tick-positive regions identified in active surveillance-coincided with an exponential increase in tick submissions during this time. MLST analysis suggested recent introduction of B. burgdorferi from the northeastern United States.