Tick surveillance in Great Britain.

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Entomology
• Public Health Surveillance
• Tick-borne Disease Ecology

Background:

• Accurate tick distribution data is crucial for public and veterinary health risk assessments.
• Understanding tick vector species and their prevalence is essential for disease prevention.
• The Health Protection Agency initiated an enhanced tick surveillance program in 2005.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a cost-effective nationwide surveillance program for tick distribution in Great Britain.
• To monitor endemic tick species and detect changes in their geographic range.
• To identify the presence and spread of non-native tick species.

Main Methods:

• Engagement with diverse stakeholders including health agencies, veterinarians, wildlife groups, and the public.
• Collection and submission of over 4000 ticks from 900 records across Great Britain.
• Identification of 14 different tick species, with a focus on Ixodes ricinus, Ixodes hexagonus, and Ixodes frontalis.

Main Results:

• The surveillance program successfully identified two non-native tick species.
• Documented the geographic expansion of Dermacentor reticulatus and the spread of Ixodes ricinus in southwest England.
• Collected data from various hosts, including companion animals, humans, wild birds, and large wild mammals.

Conclusions:

• A nationwide tick surveillance program can be effectively and affordably implemented.
• Such programs are vital for monitoring endemic tick populations and detecting exotic species.
• Enhanced surveillance raises public health awareness of tick-borne disease risks, particularly in peri-urban areas.