SurveillanceMay 30, 2026

Lyme disease in Canada, 2024.

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported 5,809 confirmed Lyme cases in 2024, a national rate of 14.1 per 100,000 people. That’s on par with the past several years, after a sharp climb through the late 2010s.

Headline number

5,809 cases

The 2024 total is roughly in line with 2023 and well above the 2,025 cases reported in 2017. Growth has slowed as the blacklegged tick’s range settles in the regions it already covers, but it keeps pushing north and west.

Where

By province.

Ontario contributed nearly half the national total. Per capita, Nova Scotia leads Canada by a wide margin, because blacklegged ticks are established across the whole province.

Approximate per-province totals reflecting PHAC’s reported ranking. Exact figures from the PHAC 2024 annual release.

When

By month of illness onset.

June and July combined accounted for nearly half the year’s cases, the same window when blacklegged nymphs are at peak activity. May and August carry most of the rest.

Who

By age group.

The 50–69 age group accounted for nearly 40% of 2024 cases. There’s also a bump in younger children, who are outside the most during peak nymph season.

What this means

For 2025 and beyond.

Lyme is a Canadian disease now. 5,000 confirmed cases a year is the new baseline. If you spend time outdoors in southern Ontario, southern Quebec, Nova Scotia, or New Brunswick, treat tick checks like sunscreen.
May and September count too. Each contributes hundreds of cases. People who relax once school starts miss a real window.
Older adults are the largest case group. A gardener in their 60s is as much a candidate as a young hiker. Yard exposure counts.

More on Canadian Lyme.

Headline figures from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) 2024 annual surveillance release for Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, published January 2026 at health-infobase.canada.ca. Per-province and per-month figures shown here approximate the published ranking and seasonality. Check the official tables for exact counts.

Last reviewed May 30, 2026

General information only, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911. Read the full disclaimer.