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Poster Short Abstract

Cat and dog owners from nearly 60 municipalities across northern Sweden collected thousands of ticks that underwent large-scale molecular screening, revealing 39.5% of them carried pathogens. This citizen science effort highlights the power of public participation in tracking emerging health risks.

Poster Abstract

Climate change is reshaping ecosystems across northern latitudes, driving the rapid geographical expansion of disease vectors such as Ixodes spp. ticks. This study harnesses the power of citizen science to map tick distribution and assess pathogen prevalence across ten provinces of northern Sweden. By engaging pet owners to submit ticks collected from their cats and dogs during 2018–2019, nearly 3700 specimens were gathered, offering a unique window into regional tick ecology. A subset of 961 ticks was analyzed for six tick-borne human and veterinary pathogens. Results show that 39.5% of ticks carried at least one pathogen, with Borrelia spp. (27%) and Rickettsia spp. (12%) being the most common. Co-infections were observed in 11% of the positive specimens, while tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus was absent. This collaborative approach enabled broad geographic and seasonal coverage, spanning nearly 60 municipalities north of 60˚N, and provided valuable data on tick species, sex, and developmental stages, and how infection risks may vary for different hosts. The success of this initiative highlights the value of citizen participation in scientific research, especially in remote regions where environmental surveillance, i.e. flagging of questing ticks, is limited. Citizen science not only expands data collection capacity but also fosters public awareness and engagement in environmental, animal and human health. These findings underscore the importance of community-driven monitoring to inform public health strategies and respond to emerging ecological challenges.