Costs of Climate Change - Diseases - Part 1 Ticks

 Anaplasmosis (caused by a bacterium), babesiosis (caused by a parasite), and the Powassan virus.  Ever heard of them?  Neither had I.  These diseases, however, are spreading (slowly) in Canada in recent years, carried by ticks who can also carry the better-known Lyme disease virus.

Most of these diseases are quite rare, but they are becoming more common in Canada, mainly because the ticks that carry the viruses are seeing their range increase further north as our climate warms.

Not much is known about how widespread these diseases are, partly because most provinces aren't keeping track, so data is hard to find.  However, back in 2009, Canada's first case of Anaplasmosis showed up in Alberta.  Last year, Ontario had 30 confirmed or suspected cases of this disease.  A research scientist with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) was quoted as saying there are now "hundreds and hundreds" of Anaplasmosis cases in Canada each year.

Anaplasmosis isn't always a trivial disease, although initial symptoms often seem like a case of the flu (sound familiar??).  In June of 2024, an Ottawa woman died from an infection from the Powassan virus after spending 3 years in hospital, so it's not trivial either.

More of the story can be read here:  

Tick-spread illnesses are on the rise in Canada. Are surveillance, awareness efforts keeping up?

The BC Center for Disease Control (BCCDC) has a list that includes:

• Anaplasmosis
• Babesiosis
• Lyme disease
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tick-borne Relapsing Fever
• Tick Paralysis
• Tularemia

Changes in the climate are helping ticks spread into new territories and also helps the pathogens survive better.

This web page from the Climate Atlas of Canada shows the increasing spread of ticks and Lyme disease.

    Lime Disease under Climate change

Of course, they don't cover this information.  You'll have to get that elsewhere.