This press release was issued by the British Ecological Society.

Researchers are watching as ticks that carry Lyme disease colonize Canada, but their research aims to predict the communities most likely to be hit by this sickness. “Our findings will help community groups and government agencies to alert the Canadians who may be at risk of picking up Lyme disease – those of us who like to visit the outdoors in spring and summer, when nymphal ticks are active but difficult to spot because of their size,” said lead author Patrick Leighton of the University of Montreal's Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. Nymphal ticks are ticks that have not yet reached full maturity. “Identifying where the ticks are setting up home helps pinpoint where Lyme disease risk will occur before people start getting the disease”.