Citizen science contributions to vector surveillanceLink to Citizen science contributions to vector surveillance
From the buzzing of a mosquito to the concerns of a tick bite, many of us have encountered disease vectors, even in the UK or in other parts of Europe. These mosquitoes and ticks, as well as sand flies and midges, are of growing public health concern due to the increasing incidence of vector-borne diseases such as Lyme borreliosis, West Nile virus, and leishmaniasis not far from home. Although we have established surveillance systems, such as those coordinated by the UK Health Security Agency for mosquitoes and ticks, tracking vectors over vast areas can be a logistical challenge. Can citizen science help?
Citizen science relies on the idea that the public can contribute to scientific knowledge by collecting and sharing data. Across Europe, citizen-driven initiatives are now playing a crucial role in mapping vector distributions, supporting with the detection of emerging risks and supporting researchers, mosquito control personnel, and policymakers.
Mapping mosquitoesLink to Mapping mosquitoes
Several large-scale projects have now tapped into the curiosity of citizens to report mosquitoes. Mosquito Alert was established in Spain and has been expanded across Europe. It invites people to submit photos of mosquitoes via a mobile app. The images they submit are reviewed by trained entomologists and contribute to maps of invasive species like Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti which are important vectors of dengue and other viruses in other parts of the world
The GLOBE Mosquito Habitat Mapper allows citizen scientists to document mosquito habitats and identify mosquito types. The app helps users to identify sites where mosquitoes may have laid eggs and then report if they see any mosquito larvae in the water. More engaged users can also sample and count the larvae and try to identify the mosquito species. The data collected have been used by both professional scientists and school students.
Scottish mosquitoes have historically been understudied due to the cooler northern climate. However, the Mosquito Scotland project aims to utilise citizen science to provide detailed information, previously lacking, about the presence and diversity of mosquito species that are being found across Scotland. Such information is invaluable in helping to understand and prepare appropriately for potential risks to public health that might arise as a result of climate change.
These efforts have provided a valuable early warning of new areas invaded by targeted species and are contributing to the establishment of new surveillance systems.
Ticks and public engagementLink to Ticks and public engagement
Ticks are another target of citizen science, and apps are available that allow users to log tick bites and view risk maps. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, citizen using the Tick Prevention app can determine the current tick risk for their location and record bites that happen outdoors in a tick diary. There are also features to help people recognise visible indications of a Lyme disease infection.
Data collected through the app have been used to map tick attachment to humans in Switzerland at a 100 m spatial resolution to guide public health interventions to reduce human exposure to ticks and to inform the resource planning of healthcare facilities.
Challenges and opportunitiesLink to Challenges and opportunities
Citizen science isn't perfect, and there are valid concerns about about the accuracy of data, particularly species identification, bias, with urban areas naturally overrepresented, and uneven participation across regions or demographics. However, projects can use experts for data validation and quality control, and train machine-learning models for image flow optimization to ensure that species identifications are accurate. Side-by-side comparisons have found that citizen science costs less than traditional methods and can provide early warning information of comparable quality with larger geographical coverage.
In an era of climate change, global mobility, and expanding vector habitats, timely and geographically extensive surveillance is essential. Citizen science is here to stay, and shows high potential as a globally scalable, cost-effective complement to traditional active means of surveillance. It can also deepen public awareness and demystify disease risk, and build a stronger bridge between science and society.