Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39849565›Full record

ArticleParasites & vectors2025

Assessing tick attachments to humans with citizen science data: spatio-temporal mapping in Switzerland from 2015 to 2021 using spatialMaxent.

Lisa Bald, Nils Ratnaweera, Tomislav Hengl, Patrick Laube, Jürg Grunder, Werner Tischhauser, Netra Bhandari, Dirk Zeuss

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Parasites & vectors, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Lisa BaldFaculty of Geography, Environmental Informatics, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, 35032, Marburg, Hessen, Germany. bald@staff.uni-marburg.de.
Nils RatnaweeraInstitute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, Grüentalstrasse 14, 8820, Wädenswil, Zürich, Switzerland.
Tomislav HenglOpenGeoHub Foundation, Cardanuslaan 26, 6865HK, Doorwerth, The Netherlands.
Patrick LaubeInstitute of Natural Resource Sciences, Zurich University of Applied Sciences ZHAW, Grüentalstrasse 14, 8820, Wädenswil, Zürich, Switzerland.
Jürg GrunderA&K Strategy Ltd., Smartphone application "Tick Prevention", Chastelstrasse 14, 8732, Neuhaus, Zürich, Switzerland.
Werner TischhauserA&K Strategy Ltd., Smartphone application "Tick Prevention", Chastelstrasse 14, 8732, Neuhaus, Zürich, Switzerland.
Netra BhandariFaculty of Geography, Environmental Informatics, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, 35032, Marburg, Hessen, Germany.
Dirk ZeussFaculty of Geography, Environmental Informatics, University of Marburg, Deutschhausstraße 12, 35032, Marburg, Hessen, Germany.

Funding

European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme MOOD No. 874850
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTicks are the primary vectors of numerous zoonotic pathogens, transmitting more pathogens than any other blood-feeding arthropod. In the northern hemisphere, tick-borne disease cases in humans, such as Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis, have risen in recent years, and are a significant burden on public healthcare systems. The spread of these diseases is further reinforced by climate change, which leads to expanding tick habitats. Switzerland is among the countries in which tick-borne diseases are a major public health concern, with increasing incidence rates reported in recent years.

methodsIn response to these challenges, the "Tick Prevention" app was developed by the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and operated by A&K Strategy Ltd. in Switzerland. The app allows for the collection of large amounts of data on tick attachment to humans through a citizen science approach. In this study, citizen science data were utilized to map tick attachment to humans in Switzerland at a 100 m spatial resolution, on a monthly basis, for the years 2015 to 2021. The maps were created using a state-of-the-art modeling approach with the software extension spatialMaxent, which accounts for spatial autocorrelation when creating Maxent models.

resultsOur results consist of 84 maps displaying the risk of tick attachments to humans in Switzerland, with the model showing good overall performance, with median

conclusionsThis mapping aims to guide public health interventions to reduce human exposure to ticks and to inform the resource planning of healthcare facilities. Our findings suggest that citizen science data can be valuable for modeling and mapping tick attachment risk, indicating the potential of citizen science data for use in epidemiological surveillance and public healthcare planning.

Indexed as

Citizen ScienceTick-Borne DiseasesTick InfestationsTicksAnimalsHumansLyme DiseaseSpatio-Temporal AnalysisSwitzerlandCitizen scienceLyme diseasespatialMaxentSpatio-temporal mappingSpecies distribution modelingSwitzerlandTick attachment to humansTick-borne encephalitisTicks

Identifiers

PMID39849565
PMCPMC11759452

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.