An ecological approach to predict areas with established populations of Ixodes scapularis in Quebec, Canada

Crown Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved..

Public health management of Lyme disease (LD) is a dynamic challenge in Canada. Climate warming is driving the northward expansion of suitable habitat for the tick vector, Ixodes scapularis. Information about tick population establishment is used to inform the risk of LD but is challenged by sampling biases from surveillance data. Misclassifying areas as having no established tick population underestimates the LD risk classification. We used a logistic regression model at the municipal level to predict the probability of I. scapularis population establishment based on passive tick surveillance data during the period of 2010-2017 in southern Quebec. We tested for the effect of abiotic and biotic factors hypothesized to influence tick biology and ecology. Additional variables controlled for sampling biases in the passive surveillance data. In our final selected model, tick population establishment was positively associated with annual cumulative degree-days > 0°C, precipitation and deer density, and negatively associated with coniferous and mixed forest types. Sampling biases from passive tick surveillance were controlled for using municipal population size and public health instructions on tick submissions. The model performed well as indicated by an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.92, sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 81%. Our model enables prediction of I. scapularis population establishment in areas which lack data from passive tick surveillance and may improve the sensitivity of LD risk categorization in these areas. A more sensitive system of LD risk classification is important for increasing awareness and use of protective measures employed against ticks, and decreasing the morbidity associated with LD.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2022

Erschienen:

2022

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:13

Enthalten in:

Ticks and tick-borne diseases - 13(2022), 6 vom: 15. Nov., Seite 102040

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Hammond-Collins, Karon [VerfasserIn]
Tremblay, Mathieu [VerfasserIn]
Milord, François [VerfasserIn]
Baron, Geneviève [VerfasserIn]
Bouchard, Catherine [VerfasserIn]
Kotchi, Serge Olivier [VerfasserIn]
Lambert, Louise [VerfasserIn]
Leighton, Patrick [VerfasserIn]
Ogden, Nicholas H [VerfasserIn]
Rees, Erin E [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Ixodidae
Journal Article
Lyme disease
Regression analysis
Ticks

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 19.10.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status Publisher

doi:

10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102040

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM346537673