Basically, the authors of this paper advocate for the increased role of Canada's two primary blood services agencies, Hema-Quebec and Canada Blood Services, in public health surveillance. Because of the way these arms-length agencies operate, they can potentially play a critical role in the monitoring of an increasing number of human pathogens through screening blood donations and sharing that data with researchers.
In 2018, researchers from the University of Toronto and the Yukon Government's Animal Health Unit established a three-year citizen science program in the Yukon that saw hunters gathering samples from vulnerable moose and caribou populations in an effort to better monitor winter tick (Dermacentor albipictus) infestations in the territory. Through social media engagement, incentives, printed material and standardized sampling kits, participants were encouraged to submit hide samples along with completed collection information.
These researchers analyzed data relating to human Lyme disease cases and passive tick surveillance from four eastern Ontario health units (encompassing the communities of Brockville, Carleton Place, Cornwall, Gananoque, Kingston, Ottawa, Perth and surrounding rural areas) between 2010 and 2017. They found that, with the exception of Ottawa, most Lyme disease infections were acquired in the immediate vicinity of patients' homes.
Between 2016 and 2018, Quebec researchers collected close to 30,000 blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis), roughly 850 birds of 50 different species, more than 650 white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), a dozen Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus), an equal number of northern short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda), and one Red-backed vole (Myodes gapperi) from the lush forests of Mont Saint-Bruno National Park (located roughly 30KM east of Montreal) and found that while white-footed mice were most likely responsible for passing on Lyme disease