Manitoba research looking for 'existing or future risk' in mosquitoes and ticks
Researchers from Brandon University are working to find present or future risks when it comes to mosquitoes and ticks in Manitoba.
On Wednesday, the university announced that Dr. Bernadette Ardelli and Dr. Bryan Cassone are surveying mosquitoes and ticks in the Canadian Prairies for pathogens, which are disease-producing agents.
Ardelli, who is the dean of science at Brandon University, said people just don’t know everything that could be out there.
“It is critical that we open our eyes to existing or future risk — some of what we are screening for can be pretty scary,” she said in a news release.
“We believe many of these pathogens are already present in Manitoba, and that human cases may have gone unreported or are misdiagnosed.”
According to Brandon University, Manitoba already screens for pathogens known to cause disease in the province, such as Lyme disease and West Nile encephalitis.
Through this study, the researchers will look for other pathogens transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks that have yet to be reported in Manitoba.
Cassone noted that in Manitoba there is no active surveillance for a number of human pathogens that can be transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia and the California serogroup and Cache Valley viruses.
He noted that these are public health concerns that have been found in bordering states and provinces.
“Climate change is already increasing the range of infectious diseases, and we must begin preparing for diseases that we haven’t traditionally experienced here,” Cassone said.
“Prevention is our first line of defense, but it requires timely detection. This research will begin to show us where we should focus our efforts.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Infectious Disease and Climate Change Fund is providing $240,450 in funding over a three-year period for the research.
Informational events are planned to provide knowledge on the risk of infectious diseases and disease prevention strategies.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.