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March is National Tick Awareness Month, a client-education initiative introduced in 2016 by the CVMA in partnership with Merck Animal Health.
Thanks to the enthusiastic response of the Canadian veterinary community to the campaign, a growing number of pet owners across the country are now aware of the risk of exposure to ticks year-round, and are taking measures to protect their pets and their families against these parasites and the diseases they can carry. In fact, ticks can be active every season - any day when temperatures reach 4°C and above.
The veterinary community may not be able stop tick expansion, but there's still a great deal we can do to help change public perceptions and behaviours when it comes to tick control.
2024 National Tick Awareness Month
This year’s campaign, kicking off on March 1, 2024, is intended to inform the public that many ticks may be Fitter, Better, Faster, and Stronger.
Recent research has shown that infection with tick-borne pathogens like Borrelia burgdoferi and Anaplasma phagocytophilum may make ticks more resilient, especially in our colder Canadian climate. These ‘fitter, better, faster, stronger’ ticks can increase the risk for people and pets across Canada, especially at times of the year when ticks might not be top of mind.
2024 National Tick Awareness Month Tools for Veterinary Teams
Posters highlighting the possible advantages of infected ticks have been sent to veterinary clinics across the country. We are also creating new social media posts you can share on your own platforms to help inform pet parents about increased tick risks. As always, tools from previous campaigns are still available on TickTalkCanada.com.
NTAM Kick-Off Webinar
On Friday, March 1, 2024, we were joined by Dr. Heather Coatsworth (PHAC) and Ms. Amal El Nabbout (Dalhousie University) for a live webinar to kick off National Tick Awareness Month.
Dr. Coatsworth reviewed tick surveillance in Canada, how tick and tick-borne disease distribution is changing, including emerging pathogens and potential drivers for this change. Ms. El Nabbout, lead author of a recently published Canadian study focused on cold tolerance of Ixodes scapularis infected with Borrelia Burgdorferi, shared the importance of being vigilant of tick risk, especially during colder months. There was a review on how ticks infected with tick-borne pathogens, like Borrelia burgdoferi, may be making ticks “fitter” and how this impacts our risk in Canada.
2024 National Tick Awareness Month Pet-owner Engagement Tools
As in previous years, the CVMA, in partnership with Merck Animal Health, has created engaging communication materials and support tools to assist veterinary teams in their efforts to educate pet owners about ticks and tick-borne diseases.
- Video: “Fitter, Better, Faster, Stronger”
- Printable poster
- Ready-to-use social media posts
- Show your clients what the typical tick activity was in your city last year!
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