As of 2021, tick data are now received through the eTick program and APL.
Photo submissions to eTick are considered invalid for this report and excluded if:
the submitter has travelled out of province in the two weeks preceding the submission of the specimen to eTick
the photo of the tick is poor quality making species determination impossible
the specimen is not a tick species
The originating location for a tick may be unknown for two reasons:
The tick was collected while travelling within the province, greater than 50 Km from the submitter’s place of residence.
The location data provided are invalid. For example, an invalid postal code.
Ticks collected pre-eTick program (before 2021) use specimen received date, while ticks collected after the transition to eTick use the lab-specified specimen collection date if tested by APL or the eTick submission date if the specimen was not sent to the lab for testing.
Each tick is counted individually, but multiple ticks may be submitted from one host or
person.
An increase in ticks submitted may reflect increased awareness about
the program rather than an actual increase in ticks in Alberta.
Submission to the surveillance program is voluntary. The number and percentage of ticks may not be a representative sample of prevalence at a geographic level.
“Alberta-acquired” is used to define ticks where the probable location of acquisition was
within Alberta. It includes ticks where the submitter has indicated no history of travel
or travel only within Alberta in the previous two weeks.
Geographic assignment is based on most likely zone of acquisition, if available, or the
postal code of residence or work of the submitter. Tick specimens submitted by persons
who have documented travel within the province in the previous two weeks are excluded
from zone counts due to uncertainty in geolocation information.
The tick species included in the Ixodes tick species of concern for transmitting B. burgdorferi in Alberta category are I. scapularis and I. pacificus. Specimens identified only as Ixodes species are included as part of the species of concern for the purposes of testing and reporting.
In 2019 and 2020, zone was not entered for non-Ixodes ticks where the host travelled outside of Alberta for the companion animal program.