Vector-borne disease testing: Canada
Curtail the cost of bug bites with streamlined testing
The incidence of vector-borne illness throughout Canadian provinces has increased over the last few years as several species of ticks and mosquitoes, encouraged by climate change, have moved northward. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, between 2022 and 2024, the number of Lyme disease cases doubled, with more cases reported in 2024 than ever before. While mosquito-borne illness occurs less frequently, the number of West Nile virus infections in 2023 was greater than the previous two years combined. Understanding which diseases are present in specific areas is important to providing infected individuals and their providers with the best diagnostic testing advice.
Tick-borne illness
Throughout Canada, Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne illness. Spread by Ixodes scapularis, or the black-legged tick, and Ixodes pacificus, or the western blacklegged tick, the illness has been reported in most of the provinces, with Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia reporting the most cases annually. The incidence of anaplasmosis, also spread by Ixodes species, has also increased in Canada, with the highest incidence reported in Ontario and Quebec.
Tick-borne disease testing
Mosquito-borne illness
Climate change has enabled numerous mosquito species to spread throughout Canada, resulting in growing rates of mosquito-borne illness throughout the provinces. West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in Canada, with cases most frequently occurring in Quebec and Ontario. However, California serogroup virus infections, such as La Crosse encephalitis, are also on the rise, with 15 cases reported in Quebec in 2023.
Mosquito-borne diseases testing