Historical Summary of Tick and Animal Surveillance Studies for Lyme Disease in Canada, 1975-2023: A Scoping Review

Lyme disease (LD) is caused by infection with the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bb) through the bite of an infected Ixodes spp. tick. LD has emerged as a public and animal health issue in Canada, with human incidence increasing in part due to the expansion of Ixodes scapularis ticks and their vertebrate hosts. We sought to provide the first comprehensive summary of published tick and animal surveillance literature regarding LD in Canada to describe changes in LD over time.

We conducted a review to identify peer-reviewed LD-focused tick, mammal, and bird surveillance articles in three online databases between 1975 and 2023. Data on study characteristics, data collection years, and surveillance methods and findings were extracted. Descriptive statistics were reported.

In total, 115 studies were included for review. Results showed an increase in published surveillance literature and changes in study approaches and their provincial distribution over time, coinciding with increased LD cases in Canada. Seventy-four studies were published after 2014 when Canada's Federal Framework on Lyme Disease Act was introduced, and two-thirds of these studies focused on tick surveillance only. Overall, 58% of studies involved surveillance in Ontario but increases in all other provinces were observed after 2009.

Observed changes in five decades of LD-related tick and animal surveillance literature helps document the historical rapid spread of Ixodes and Bb across provinces. This can provide lessons for other regions that may transition from emerging to endemic status for LD in the coming years.