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.

We prepared a digital questionnaire to capture knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tickborne 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. Mos...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Estrada-Peña, Agustín, Antunes, Sandra, Domingos, Ana, Esser, Helen, Földvári, Gábor, Fuehrer, Hans-Peter, Gargili, Aysen, van Gestel, Mats, Grandi, Giulio, Kazimirova, Maria, Kiewra, Dorota, Klemola, Tero, Kjær, Lene Jung, Kjelland, Vivian, Kubiak, Katarzyna, de Meneghi, Daniele, Mihalca, Andrei Daniel, Moutailler, Sarah, Potkonjak, Aleksandar, Prokop, Pavel, Robert, Käthe, Ranka, Renate, Sainz Rodríguez, Ángel, Sormunen, Jani, Sotiraki, Smaragda, Strube, Christina, Stuen, Snorre, Široký, Pavel, Tomassone, Laura, Zintl, Annetta
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM)
Repositorio:Docta Complutense
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:docta.ucm.es:20.500.14352/123352
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/123352
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:595.7
57.087.1
Europe
Ixodid ticks
Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP)
Questionnaire survey
Tick-borne pathogens
Insectos
Estadística
2408.03 Insectos
2404.01 Bioestadística
Descripción
Sumario:We prepared a digital questionnaire to capture knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tickborne 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. This study identified knowledge gaps among respondents from some European countries where TBPs have not been prioritised historically. These knowledge gaps should be addressed by reputable bodies to encourage personal protective behaviours without causing alarm and to forestall the spreading of incorrect and unreliable information propagated by some social media sources.

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