Researches from the Health Research Hub make tick hotspots visible
For the first time, researchers were able to show where and how often humans and ticks meet in Switzerland over the course of the year.
A team of ZHAW scientists from various disciplines analyzed data from the interactive App “Zecke” (tick) to develop a spatio-temporal tick risk model. Two thirds of all tick contacts, such as tick bites or sightings, are reported in the average annual period between mid-April and mid-July. This is shown by the more than 24,000 observational data, which have been collected and evaluated over the last five years. The geographical distribution varies seasonally: in spring, ticks bite first in lower areas, before in April and May there are increased reports from densely populated centres and popular excursion destinations. The project, supported by the Health Research Hub, aims to predict the tick risk potential for the next two weeks, comparable to a weather forecast.
More information about the project:
Fighting bites with bytes – promoting public health with crowdsourced tick prevention
