Living with ticks: Results of an online survey of the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tick-borne pathogens in academic environments across Europe
| Title: | Living with ticks: Results of an online survey of the knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tick-borne pathogens in academic environments across Europe |
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| Authors: | Agustín Estrada-Peña; Helen Esser; Gábor Földvári; Hans-Peter Fuehrer; Aysen Gargili; Mats Van Gestel; Giulio Grandi; Maria Kazimirova; Dorota Kiewra; Tero Klemola; Lene Jung Kjær; Vivian Kjelland; Katarzyna Kubiak; Daniele de Meneghi; Andrei Daniel Mihalca; Sarah Moutailler; Aleksandar Potkonjak; Pavel Prokop; Käthe Robert; Renate Ranka; Angel Sainz; Jani Sormunen; Smaragda Sotiraki; Christina Strube; Snorre Stuen; Pavel Široký; Laura Tomassone; Annetta Zintl; Sandra Antunes; Ana Domingos |
| Source: | Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases ; issn:1877-959X |
| Publisher Information: | Elsevier |
| Publication Year: | 2025 |
| Subject Terms: | Knowledge; Attitudes and Practices (KAP); Ixodid Ticks; Tick-borne Pathogens; Questionnaire Survey; Europe |
| Description: | We prepared a digital questionnaire to capture knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in 20 languages. The questionnaire was distributed to 21 universities and research institutions in 22 European countries and 9401 valid responses were collected. Most survey participants identified ticks correctly and regarded ticks as a serious health risk. There was also a good level of knowledge regarding tick activity, habitats and the predominant TBPs in the country or region. Moreover, most respondents were familiar with effective tick protection and removal measures. Over 75 % of respondents had been bitten by ticks and up to 12 % of participants had been diagnosed with a tick-borne infection in the past. Respondents from northern and central European countries who reported engaging in outdoor activities more frequently, reported increased frequencies of tick bites and infection with TBPs compared to respondents from southern Europe. Awareness of national information campaigns on ticks and TBPs was also greater among respondents from northern and central European countries than among Mediterranean countries. |
| Document Type: | article in journal/newspaper |
| File Description: | application/pdf |
| Language: | English |
| Relation: | isPartOf:https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:605[Open Access Publikationen]; https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:4923 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102515 |
| Availability: | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2025.102515; https://phaidra.vetmeduni.ac.at/o:4923 |
| Rights: | © 2025 The Authors ; open access ; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: | edsbas.8651570F |
| Database: | BASE |