California is where BC ticks come from: Tick-Borne Diseases in California – It’s Not Just Lyme and It’s Not Just Deer Ticks!
[canLyme Note: Ignore the spelling errors in the below, as it is an unedited article. This is an important summation because in the province of British Columbia and perhaps parts of Alberta, the migratory birds are delivering California ticks each and every season. Precious little information is published in Canada on the state of tick borne disease in British Columbia. One has to ask, “Why?”]
Lyme Disease is currently the fastest growing bacterial infectious disease in the United States of America. Lyme is caused by a spiral shaped bacteria (spirochete) called Borrelia burgdorferi. On the East Coast the primary vector for Lyme Disease is the Ixodes Scapularis Tick with the primary reservoir being the White Footed Mouse. On the West Coast the primary vector is the Ixodes Pacificus Tick with the Gray Squirrel being the primary reservoir.
Ticks have a 2 year life cycle going from egg, to 6-legged larva, to 8-legged nymph, to adult, requiring a blood meal at each stage. The blood meal can come from birds, any animal or humans. [1] Because Lyme Disease was first identified in Lyme Connecticut there is a great deal more information available about East Coast tick-borne diseases. In fact, when you go to the CDC web site it’s difficult to find any information specific to the West Coast. What I’m finding is that California has a completely different profile of Lyme, Lyme-like illnesses and tick-borne diseases.