Wolfville — Acadia University’s Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre will receive new government support to expand surveillance and develop technologies aimed at controlling ticks and preventing the diseases they spread.
Targeted research as cases rise
The province of Nova Scotia is providing $1.2 million to the centre, with the federal government adding $455,000 to support work on tick control and repellency technologies. The investments will fund field surveillance, laboratory pathogen testing and studies of tick density and population dynamics across the province.
Acadia associate professor and tick researcher Nicoletta Faraone, who leads work at the centre, said the team will be "collecting and studying a lot of ticks" as they map the problem and test solutions.
“We will be doing surveillance, pathogen testing and looking at the tick density and population in the province,”
The research response reflects growing public-health concern in Nova Scotia over blacklegged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, and a broader uptick in tick-borne illness across the country.
Why the work matters here
Nova Scotia has been identified as one of the hardest‑hit provinces in Canada for certain tick-borne infections. Data cited by researchers and public-health officials showed more than 600 cases of anaplasmosis nationally in the most recent reporting year, with roughly 90 per cent of those cases occurring in Nova Scotia.
Blacklegged ticks are already well established in many parts of the province. That presence extends the risk season for bites and has made surveillance, diagnosis and public education priorities for health authorities.
Voices from the community
For people who have lived through delayed diagnosis, the new funding is welcome but long overdue. Donna Lugar, a Lyme disease advocate and awareness organiser, said it took years for her own illness to be diagnosed and she continues to cope with ongoing health issues.
“I still deal with a lot of weird health issues, and some are a little more concerning than others,”
Last year Lugar launched a petition asking the provincial government to improve diagnosis, treatment and public awareness of tick-borne diseases. The petition called for dedicated clinics and better training for clinicians. She said the provincial government has not formally responded to that petition.
What the funding will support
Acadia’s centre will apply the new funding to a range of activities important for both immediate public health protection and longer-term technological solutions:
- Expanded field surveillance to map where ticks and pathogens are present.
- Laboratory testing for pathogens that ticks may carry, such as the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and anaplasmosis.
- Development and evaluation of new repellency and tick-control technologies suited to local conditions.
Researchers say combining surveillance with product development and community education offers the best chance to reduce human exposure.
| Contributor | Amount |
|---|---|
| Nova Scotia government | $1.2 million |
| Federal government | $455,000 |
Practical implications for Nova Scotians
Public-health specialists and researchers advise residents to continue preventive measures while the science advances. That includes checking clothing and skin after time spent outdoors, using insect repellents proven effective against ticks, maintaining yards to reduce tick habitat, and consulting health providers promptly if symptoms suggest infection.
Clinicians and community groups have also called for clearer pathways to diagnosis and care for people with suspected tick-borne disease. Research and surveillance results from Acadia could help inform those clinical and public-health responses by identifying hotspots and clarifying which pathogens are circulating.
For researchers at the Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre, the new money provides a layer of capacity to collect better data and trial interventions tailored to Atlantic Canadian ecosystems. For communities and advocates who have long pushed for more attention to tick-borne disease, it represents a concrete step toward improving diagnosis, prevention and treatment in the province.
As the centre ramps up fieldwork and laboratory testing, officials say they will share findings with public-health units and the public to ensure the research translates into safer practices and policies.
