2021 National Tick Awareness Month Communication Material

Mar 1, 2021

“Could Ticks be There? Be Tick Aware”

National Tick Awareness Month Hits Close to Home by Focusing on Tick Geography

It is now widely acknowledged that rising ambient temperatures have contributed to a general increase in the number, level of activity, and geographical distribution of ticks in North America, as well as to the expansion of blacklegged ticks and Lyme disease into Canada.

Ticks are now present in more regions of Canada than ever. Surveillance efforts have identified a growing number of regions across the country where blacklegged ticks, which are vectors for Lyme disease, are emerging or established.

The theme of the 2021 National Tick Awareness Month (NTAM) campaign, Could ticks be there? Be tick aware, drives that point home by raising awareness regarding the established and expanding geographic range of tick species throughout Canada, highlighting the common habitats where ticks can be encountered.

NTAM Webinar

Monday, March 1, 2021 at 12 p.m.

Once again, the NTAM campaign was launched with a live webinar. This year’s guest speaker was Dr. Katie Clow, DVM, PhD, Ontario Veterinary College. The webinar, which took place on Monday, March 1, 2021, at 12 p.m., provided an update on regional tick and tick-borne disease risks in Canada, and discussed the important role veterinary teams play in educating pet owners and protecting patients.

Pet Owner Engagement Tools

Again this year, the CVMA and its NTAM partner, Merck Animal Health, have created communication material and support tools to help veterinary teams provide pet owners with updates on the presence and expansion of ticks across Canada, tips to recognize potential tick habitats, and additional resources to assist in identifying local tick risk areas and tick species they may encounter.