The risk of contact between visitors and Borrelia burgdorferi-infected ticks is associated with fine-scale landscape features in a southeastern Canadian nature park

Author:

Dumas, A, Bouchard, C, Drapeau, P, Lindsay, LR, Ogden, NH, and Leighton, PA

Publication type:

Journal Article

Publication date:

2024-04

Journal/Series title:

BMC Public Health

Volume:

Issue:

URL:

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-024-18673-w

Abstract:

Here, we demonstrate the importance of integrating indicators of human behaviour visitation with tick distribution data to characterize risk patterns for tick-borne diseases in public natural areas. Indeed, understanding the environmental determinants of human-tick interactions will allow organisations to deploy more effective risk reduction interventions targeted at key locations and times, and improve the management of public health risks associated with tick-borne diseases in public spaces.