Work package 1. Ticks in urban and peri-urban areas in response to climate change

🎯 Objectivs

Work package 1 investigates the relationship between climate change, urbanization, and tick ecology, focusing on zoonotic risks in urban and peri-urban areas. We aim to assess how ticks adapt to human-dominated environments by studying their presence in locations such as gardens, playgrounds, and parks. We will use sampling techniques to compare tick abundance and species diversity, identify tick-borne disease pathogens, and explore cross-zone transmission pathways. We will also consider cities within various climate ranges to enhance our understanding of urban microclimates as drivers of biodiversity shifts. This interdisciplinary approach seeks to provide valuable insights into public health and urban resilience strategies.

🚧 Tasks

Task 1.1 - Standardization of the tick collection protocols

1.1.a - Develop and implement standardized tick collection protocols, ensuring consistent and comparable data across all study sites.
1.1.b - Train field teams on protocol adherence and incorporate quality control measures to minimize measurement variability.

Task 1.2 - Data collection and field surveys

1.2.a - Conduct systematic sampling of tick populations in urban and peri-urban areas of selected cities over time to record their abundance, distribution, and species diversity.
1.2.b - Collect environmental, climatic, and urbanization data (e.g., land use, host population density, proximity to urban heat islands) to correlate with tick data.

Task 1.3 - Pathogen screening and risk analysis

1.3.a - Identify and characterize zoonotic pathogens in the sampled ticks using molecular and microbiological techniques.
1.3.b - Assess public health risks by quantifying pathogen prevalence and evaluating their potential to cause human diseases.

Task 1.4 - Database development

1.4.a - Design and build a comprehensive database to store, manage, and analyze tick and environmental data. 1.4.b - Design and implement a GUI to ensure user-friendly access to the database for researchers and public health professionals, along with a GIS-based dynamic mapping system to visualize spatiotemporal changes in tick distribution and tick-bite risk.

Task 1.5 - Statistical modeling of tick abundance

1.5.a - Analyze relationships between tick abundance, pathogen prevalence, urbanization, host availability, and environmental variables using statistical and machine learning models.
1.5.b - Provide a forecasting model of tick distribution and disease risks under different urbanization and climate scenarios.

Task 1.6 - Policy-oriented recommendations

1.6.a - Synthesize findings to identify critical urban planning strategies and public health interventions for mitigating tick-borne disease risks.
1.6.b - Provide actionable recommendations tailored to specific city contexts, considering stakeholder input and resource constraints.

🚚 Deliverables:

• D1.1 - A detailed database and dynamic map illustrating temporal changes in tick distribution across urban and peri-urban areas in selected cities.
• D1.2 - Identification of zoonotic pathogens in urban ticks and assessment of public health risks.
• D1.3 - Modeling the relationships between tick abundance, disease risks, urbanization, host availability, and environmental conditions.
• D1.4 - Recommendations for urban planning and public health policies to mitigate tick-borne disease risks.
• D1.5 - Development of unified protocol for tick collection and reporting.