Tick-borne disease surveillance: Annual reports: Vector-borne disease surveillance in Canada
Vectors, such as ticks, spread diseases between humans or from animals to humans, usually by biting. Diseases spread by vectors are called vector-borne diseases. Find out how we monitor tick-borne diseases in Canada.
- Last updated: 2026-01-16
This page summarizes the latest annual data available regarding Lyme disease cases reported in Canada. We update this page annually, with data covering the previous year. It was last updated on January 16, 2026 with data between January 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024.
To view data regarding Lyme disease from previous years, please see the Expore the data tab. To better understand these data and this dashboard, please see the Technical notes tab.
For more details on tick-borne disease surveillance, please refer to our webpage on tick-borne diseases.
Key highlights from 2024
Cases
5,809 cases
50%
confirmed
50%
probable
5,809 cases were reported in 2024, representing annual growth of over 20%.
Demographic characteristics
56%
males
44%
females
7%
aged 5-9 years
23%
aged 60-69 years
More cases were reported among males than females, and in those aged 5-9 or 60-69 than in other age groups.
Geographic distribution
96% of cases were reported by Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec.
About 3% were likely acquired during travel outside of Canada1.
Seasonality
About 67% of cases with known symptom onset dates that were locally acquired were reported in summer months, between June and August2.
Human cases overview
- Overall, the national case count of Lyme disease has been trending upward since 2009 3.
- The incidence rate of Lyme disease in Canada in 2024 was 14.1 compared to 11.9 per 100,000 population in 20234.
- Reasons for the high number of cases include greater human exposure to risk areas as tick habitat range expands with climate change.
Demographic characteristics
- Like previous years, cases were reported more commonly among males (56%) compared to females (44%) 5.
- A larger proportion of cases were reported among those aged 5-9 (7%) and 60-69 (23%) years than in other age groups.
- This may reflect behaviors associated with these age groups that increase risk of tick exposure, such as time spent outdoors, or less awareness of risk and preventive measures.
Seasonality
- Most cases reported an illness onset during the summer months of June (28%), July (26%), and August (13%).
- This is similar to findings from previous years, reflecting heightened tick activity and greater outdoor human activity in the summer months.
- Summer activities associated with risk of tick bites include gardening and camping. Additional information about tick bite prevention is available.
Seasonality data table
| Episode month | Number of cases2 |
|---|---|
| January | 14 |
| February | 15 |
| March | 17 |
| April | 31 |
| May | 141 |
| June | 439 |
| July | 409 |
| August | 203 |
| September | 119 |
| October | 103 |
| November | 53 |
| December | 28 |
Geographic distribution
- Most cases were reported in Ontario (41%), Nova Scotia (40%), and Quebec (14%), consistent with previous years.
- Additional information about Lyme disease risk areas in Canada is available.
- Nova Scotia was the province with the highest incidence (217 per 100,000 population).
- More cases were reported than in the previous year in Ontario (+27%) and Quebec (+27%).
Geographic distribution data table
| Geography | Number of cases1 |
|---|---|
| Canada | 5,809 |
| Yukon | 0 |
| British Columbia | 21 |
| Northwest Territories | 0 |
| Alberta | 31 |
| Saskatchewan | 2 |
| Manitoba | 84 |
| Ontario | 2,369 |
| Quebec | 834 |
| Nunavut | 0 |
| New Brunswick | 111 |
| Nova Scotia | 2,350 |
| Prince Edward Island | 4 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 3 |
Previous annual reports
Previous versions of the annual report are available in the table below:
| Report year | Link to report |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Link |
- Date modified: