Researcher finds 13 ticks in one hour as Canada deals with early cases

Dr. Marla Shapiro on the rising concerns of ticks and Lyme disease as summer quickly approaches.

A researcher was able to find 13 ticks in just one hour, highlighting a growing public health concern in many parts of North America.

Michael Stastny, a tick researcher and PhD student at Binghamton University in Upstate New York, collected the pesky parasites in a recent social media post to show how tick populations are increasing in the northeastern U.S.

Tick numbers and Lyme disease cases are also on the rise in Canada.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), there were approximately 7,105 cases of Lyme disease in the country in 2025, up significantly from 5,809 in 2024 and 4,785 in 2023. The 2025 case numbers were the highest ever recorded since federal health authorities began tracking national Lyme disease data in 2009.

“In Canada, there were only a handful of cases only a decade ago,” McGill University biologist Virginie Millien previously told CTVNews.ca. “It’s not a linear relationship, it’s exponential when a disease emerges.”

Climate change is frequently cited as a major factor contributing to the continued expansion of ticks northwards into Canada, where the highest-risk communities are concentrated along the U.S. border, as well as in major population centres and urban parks.

“Risk areas are growing,” Millien added. “It’s not going to stop anytime soon because it’s really driven by climate warming.”

Experts say tick season began early in Canada in 2026, including in B.C. where veterinarians have been recording tick bites since mid-February, about a month sooner than usual. According to 2024 provincial data, the most Lyme disease cases were recorded in Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec.

There are more than 40 different types of ticks in Canada. In addition to Lyme disease, ticks can also transmit bacteria and viruses that cause other serious conditions like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.

To protect yourself from ticks, the Public Health Agency of Canada advises using insect repellant and wearing long pants and long sleeves when venturing outdoors. Tucking your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks provides added protection while wearing lighter colours can also make ticks easier to spot.

Contact your health-care provider if you need help removing a tick, or if you develop symptoms like fever or chills following a tick bite. You can learn more about how to carefully remove a tick on the Public Health Agency of Canada’s website.