Project description

OneTick will conduct research on tick-borne diseases from the perspective of the „One Health” approach, combining human, animal, and environmental factors. The project aims to create a model representing the influence of climate change on distribution of ticks in urban and suburban areas – such as parks, gardens, and playgrounds – in order to improve risk forecasting and control strategies. Additionally, the project aims to support a common EU framework for diagnosing, reporting, and managing tick-borne diseases.

OneTick project brings together 12 partners from 11 different countries, representing both academia and industry:

Leader:

• Medical University of Białystok (Poland),

Partners:

• iBioscience Kft. (Hungary)
• FUNDACION RIOJA SALUD-FRS (Spain),
• SODERTORNS HOGSKOLA (Sweden),
• Rigshospitalet (Denmark),
• Freie Universitaet Berlin (Germany),
• UNIVERSITATEA DE STIINTE AGRICOLE SI MEDICINA VETERINARA CLUJ NAPOCA USAMV CLUJ (Romania),
• Region Jönköping (Sweden),
• SORLANDET SYKEHUS HF SSHF (Norway),
• RIJKSINSTITUUT VOOR VOLKSGEZONDHEID EN MILIEU RIVM (Netherlands),
• BIOLOGICKE CENTRUM AKADEMIE VID CESKE REPUBLIKY VEREJNA VYZKUMNA INSTITUCE Biologicke centrum AV CR (Czech Republic),

Associated partner:

• Pfizer Corporation Austria (Austria),

OneTick project is being implemented under the Horizon Europe programme – Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchanges and has received funding from the European Commission. Its aim is to conduct interdisciplinary research on tick-borne diseases using the One Health approach, which integrates human, animal, and environmental health perspectives. Among other factors, the project will analyze the influence of climate change on the distribution of ticks in urban and suburban areas, such as parks, gardens, and playgrounds. This research is meant to inspire positive change in risk forecasting and the development of more effective strategies for the prevention and control of tick-borne diseases.

The ultimate goal of the OneTick project is to broaden our knowledge and improve the management of tick-borne diseases in urban and suburban environments by integrating ecological, biomedical, and public health perspectives. We will track the connections between human, animal and environmental health, employing the One Health approach.  

More information can be found on the CORDIS website.

Tick-borne diseases (TBD), caused by bacteria, viruses, or protozoa, pose a serious health and socio-economic challenge in Europe. Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), historically prevalent in Central and Eastern Europe, are now common in Austria, Germany, and the Czech Republic, and their geographic reach is expanding due to climate change.

As part of the One Health initiative, the OneTick project aims to improve the prevention, detection, and treatment of tick-borne diseases in urban areas.

• Work package 1 studies the adaptation of urban ticks, assessing their population density, species diversity and pathogen prevalence.
• Work package 2 analyzes the tick-host-pathogen interactions in order to create predictive models for the spread of the diseases.  
• Work package 3 aims to improve diagnostics through the identification of disease markers and the development of predictive models for survival rates.
• Work package 4 focuses on raising public health awareness through the use of guidelines and educational campaigns targeting disinformation.

As part of the OneTick project, each participating organisation brings its own unique expertise, creating a radial structure, that integrates various scientific perspectives and promotes harmonisation of methodologies across different disciplines and sectors. We plan to implement 90 secondments, including 60 intersectoral exchanges and 30 interdisciplinary staff exchanges. Thanks to these secondments, we will popularise best practices, increase interoperability, and create common frameworks for the research and supervision of tick-borne diseases.

MORE INFO:

Funded by the European Union (project 101236599). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.