Technological advancements in tick research

Each spring, tick populations explode across Southern Ontario much to the dismay of outdoor enthusiasts and pet owners. While most associate ticks with Lyme disease, Queen’s University researcher Robert Colautti (Biology) is partnering with undergraduate students and veterinarians in the region to efficiently identify newly emerging tick-borne pathogens.

The Bacterial Amplicon Tick Test (BATT) is Canada’s first publicly-available laboratory test allowing for the identification of all tick-borne pathogens at once, including unknown ones. Currently, tick-borne pathogens are only identified with individual tests, presenting a barrier for both researchers and healthcare providers.

“If you want to test for 10 pathogens, you’ll have to do 10 tests, and you can only find what you are looking for,” says Dr. Colautti. “That means as new pathogens arise, the number of tests piles up and the process of identifying these diseases becomes more complicated.”

Building on years of work with the Canadian Lyme Disease Research Network (CLyDRN), this testing strategy takes a different approach. By combining recent advancements in genomics and machine learning, BATT allows researchers to truly understand the diversity of microbes carried by ticks. While current tests focus on targeting DNA from individual pathogens within a tick, BATT uses machine learning to sequence and identify all the DNA in a sample from a tick. This novel technique allows for the detection of new pathogens and changes in the tick microbiome.

First established at Queen’s in 2017, the multidisciplinary nature of CLyDRN brings together researchers, clinicians, and patients – a unique network that led Dr. Colautti to develop BATT.

“Meeting patients made it clear there is a gap between the healthcare system and the patient experience,” he says. “Current tests simply cannot identify new pathogens, and new tests aren’t being developed until people are already sick. What we are trying to do is get ahead of the curve and identify these illnesses as they emerge.”

But the curve will only get steeper with the effects of human-driven global change. As temperatures rise and climate change makes its mark, new tick species from the U.S. and around the world begin to migrate into Canada, carrying with them a wide variety of new pathogens.

“With all of these global change components, climate change – biological invasions and habitat modification – it’s a certainty that we’ll have new tick-borne illnesses coming to Canada, some of which are already here,” says Dr. Colautti.

How monitoring pets can help 
To combat this, BATT is being provided to vet clinics across Southern Ontario as part of a new pilot project. With three vet clinics already participating following the project’s recent launch, the first pilot study is planned to begin this fall before opening to more clinics in Spring 2025. Starting with our four-legged companions provides a large sample size to assess the effectiveness of BATT, while also allowing researchers to explore the range of pathogens in Southern Ontario that could impact the human population. The long-term goal is to use this information to develop a commercially available test to identify and diagnose tick-borne illnesses in both domestic animals and humans. An accomplishment that if realized would transform patient treatment.

In the meantime, protecting yourself from tick-borne illnesses begins with prevention. Long pants, socks, and insect repellant are useful at preventing tick bites, while light-colored clothing can help ticks stand out and be removed.

For more information regarding the pilot project and how to get involved visit the myLyme.ca website. 

Note: This article originally appeared in the Queen's Gazette.