Scheduled for fall 2017, the "Citicks" project will allow people who have been bitten by ticks to report their location. By collecting this valuable information, which is still lacking in France, scientists will be able to better understand the behavior of ticks and the epidemiology of Lyme disease in the country.
Started in 2016 and coordinated by twoINRA researchers, Jean François Cosson and Pascale Frey-Klett, the "Citicks" project is materialized by an application (iPhone, iPad, Android) that can be downloaded for free.
It all started with a double observation," explains Jean-François Cosson. On the one hand, there was a tense and controversial climate between patients and doctors, and on the other hand, there was a lack of knowledge about the ecology of diseases transmitted by ticks. Thus, can one be bitten in winter or in summer when it is admitted that the propitious periods are spring and autumn? Are ticks more active at particular times of the day? And since they are no longer confined to deep forests, in which gardens and urban parks are they present?In addition to the tracking application, participants will be able to collect and send the ticks that have bitten them or their pets. In this way, INRA researchers will be able to study the pathogens present in the ticks.
Références :
