The latest issue of The Lyme Report goes out to subscribers tomorrow and its focus is on human granulocytic anaplasmosis, Colorado tick fever and lone star ticks. In tomorrow’s issue, subscribers will find:

• FEATURE: Whenever the topic of Lyme disease co-infections comes up, by far the most discussed pathogens are babesia, bartonella, and Borrelia miyamotoi. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Anaplasma phagocytophilum is quickly overtaking the other three as a public health concern in this country. Tomorrow’s feature will explain what anaplasma is, where it’s found in Canada, and why it is suddenly causing concern amongst public health researchers.  

• ANALYSIS: Speaking of tick-borne illnesses that deserve more attention, I’ll be analyzing a study highlighting a case of Colorado tick fever that cropped up rather unexpectedly in Manitoba in 2017.

• ANALYSIS: I’ll also be breaking down a recent paper that predicts when and where lone star ticks will be expanding into Canada. There are some surprises in this paper that I go into in some detail.

• NEWS BRIEFS: A Lyme disease conference held in Nova Scotia in November drew hundreds of participants, a blacklegged tick expert discusses why we can’t let our guard down this time of year, and The Lyme Report goes to Belleville, ON.

Not yet a subscriber? Click on the button below to read the full newsletter and to gain access to the archives where you will find all previous issues of The Lyme Report.

The latest issue of The Lyme Report goes out to subscribers tomorrow and its focus is on tick repellents, changes to the national surveillance system, and the latest research on ticks in Saskatchewan. In tomorrow’s issue, subscribers will find:

• FEATURE: An Acadia University biochemist discusses her role in the creation of a new natural tick repellent and what she had to learn about ticks in order to come up with a formulation that rivals the efficacy of DEET.

• ANALYSIS: I’ll be taking a close look at a paper that represents the culmination of a nine year study into blacklegged ticks in Saskatchewan and the pathogens they are carrying. I will also be taking a look at an overview paper reporting on how the case definition of Lyme disease was altered following a review in 2016 and what those changes mean to the tracking of human Lyme disease cases in Canada.

• NEWS BRIEFS: Canadian researchers are, as always, up to exciting things. In this issue, I’ll point you to some intriguing news reports about supercomputers being used to map Lyme risk in the Maritimes, artificial intelligence being used to identify Lyme risk in Canada, a record number of Lyme disease cases being recorded in Quebec, Manitoba opening a virtual clinic to aid in the diagnosis of tick-borne illnesses and the BC Centre for Disease Control efforts to inform doctors and residents about Lyme disease risk in the province.

Not yet a subscriber? Click on the button below to read the full newsletter and to gain access to the archives where you will find all previous issues of The Lyme Report.

(Photo courtesy of Greenwood Public Library)

If you happen to be in the Belleville, ON area on December 5th, I will be giving a presentation at the Belleville Public Library at 2PM during which I will be discussing the latest and greatest research coming out of Canada on ticks and tick-borne illnesses. Everyone welcome!

Read the press release.