Recent studies have highlighted the occurrence and distribution of Ixodes scapularis ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto (s.s.) around the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and the need for strategies to mitigate the risk of human exposure and infection. We conducted a field study from July to October 2018 to examine the effectiveness of ecotonal woodchip borders as an environmental control method to suppress the density of host-seeking ticks along recreational trails in Ottawa. We used an experimental design with ten 100-m trail replicates randomized to intervention or control groups, and monitored questing tick density at weekly intervals in mid-summer and early fall. We compared questing tick density between woodchip-treated and untreated trails using a mixed-effects Poisson regression model. Of the 138 I. scapularis ticks collected, there were 86 adult and nymphal ticks, 37 (43 %) of which were positive for B. burgdorferi s.s. A total of 58 Haemaphysalis leporispalustris were also collected. Mean combined adult and nymphal I. scapularis density was 1.15 (1.40 standard deviation; SD) per 100 m in the control group compared to 0.28 (0.56 SD) per 100 m in the intervention group, reflecting a 75 % reduction in questing tick density on trail replicates treated with woodchip borders (p < 0.001). An effect of the intervention was observed in both sampling periods. This study indicates that woodchip borders may be an effective strategy to suppress questing tick density along trail margins where recreational trail users are more active, thereby reducing the likelihood of tick encounters.

最近的研究突出了感染伯氏疏螺旋体的肩x小I的发生和分布加拿大安大略省渥太华市附近的居民，以及对降低人类暴露和感染风险的策略的需求。我们从2018年7月至2018年10月进行了实地研究，以检验生态木屑边界作为抑制渥太华休闲步道沿途的寄主tick的密度的环境控制方法的有效性。我们使用了一个实验设计，其中有10个100-m的踪迹重复样本被随机分配到干预组或对照组，并在仲夏和初秋的每周间隔内监测询问tick密度。我们使用混合效应Poisson回归模型比较了经过木片处理和未经处理的足迹之间的询问tick密度。在收集的138个肩I鱼壁虱中，有86个成年和若虫壁虱，其中37个（43％）呈阳性。B. burgdorferi ss总共还收集了58份Leporispalustris血肿。对照组中成人和若虫肩I.scapularis的平均合并密度为每100 m 1.15（1.40标准差； SD），而干预组为每100 m 0.28（0.56 SD），反映出on虱寻求tick密度降低了75％用木片边框处理的痕迹复制品（p <0.001）。在两个采样期间均观察到干预措施的效果。这项研究表明，木片边界可能是一种有效的策略，可抑制休闲步道使用者更为活跃的沿步道边缘的追捕tick密度，从而降低of遇到的可能性。