Environmental solutions to reduce the risk of current and future tick-borne zoonotic pathogens in the UK

降低英国当前和未来蜱传人畜共患病原体风险的环境解决方案

• 批准号: NE/W003244/1
• 负责人: Caroline Louise Millins
• 金额: $ 52.89万
• 依托单位: University of Liverpool
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2021 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=NE%2FW003244%2F1
• 关键词: Environmental; solutions; reduce; risk; current

The threat posed by tick-borne diseases (TBD) in temperate regions such as the UK is growing rapidly. Human exposure is often linked to woodlands that support high densities of tick vectors and key wildlife hosts of these pathogens, and are intensively used by people. Climate change and government policies to increase woodland connectivity and improve human recreational access are highly likely to increase risks of TBD in the UK. To mitigate this threat we need to better understand effects of landscape structure on the movement and habitat use of those wildlife species which are key hosts for ticks and zoonotic pathogens. We also need to understand how humans use landscapes, where they are most at risk of exposure to tick bites and whether exposure could be prevented by habitat and host management. Given recent shifts across Europe in the distributions of TBD and tick populations, it is also critical to understand how longer term climate and land use changes may affect the introduction, establishment and spread of TBDs. Bringing together researchers from ecology, epidemiology, public health, and social science, TICKSOLVE aims to address these gaps. We will provide evidence for optimal greening and woodland restoration policies that will maximise benefits to biodiversity and human wellbeing while minimising human risks from current and future tick-borne diseases by:1. Bringing together key national and regional level actors in health, land and biodiversity policy that interact with landscapes and TBD systems, to frame key risk scenarios and feasible environmental interventions for TBDs. 2. Better understanding how landscape structure shapes wildlife host distribution, habitat selection and movements and consequently impacts on ticks and TBD risk combining ecological surveys, pathogen genetics and computer modelling3. Mapping how people use woodland landscapes and how this interacts with risk of encountering infected ticks to identify high risk areas for human exposure4. Modelling how potential environmental barriers and interventions could reduce human exposure, integrating this knowledge of ecological interactions across the landscapes5. Predicting how changes in woodland area and climate and patterns of bird migration may change TBD risks in the future 6. Co-developing interventions to minimise current and future TBD risks with stakeholders and policymakers that are locally appropriate.The research will focus on three emerging pathogens that pose a risk to the UK. Firstly Lyme disease (LD) which is currently present in the UK and can cause long-term debilitation. Reported cases of LD have increased 10-fold since 2000, probably linked to an expanding distribution of its main tick vector, Ixodes ricinus. Secondly, tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) which has been recently detected in ticks in the UK with evidence of suspected human cases in 2019. TBE uses the same tick vector and can cause severe neurological damage and death with some 5,000 to 12,000 reported cases each year in mainland Europe. Thirdly, Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever (CCHF), caused by a WHO priority pathogen CCHF virus, with epidemic potential, is expanding north-westward in Europe. It's tick vector, Hyalomma spp., was found recently on migratory birds arriving in the UK. The TICKSOLVE project platform and approach of co-developing research, models and risk communication materials with stakeholders, accounting for diverse land management priorities, will enable formulation of future-proofed woodland and greening policies that minimise risks of these diverse TBDs. Furthermore, engagement with key global partners and networks through webinars and meetings will facilitate transfer of TICKSOLVE inter-disciplinary approaches to other rapidly changing tick-borne disease systems worldwide.

在英国等温带地区，蜱传疾病（TBD）造成的威胁正在迅速增长。人类接触通常与森林有关，这些森林支持高密度的蜱虫媒介和这些病原体的主要野生动物宿主，并且被人们大量使用。气候变化和政府增加林地连通性和改善人类娱乐通道的政策极有可能增加英国TBD的风险。为了减轻这种威胁，我们需要更好地了解景观结构对那些野生动物物种的运动和栖息地利用的影响，这些野生动物物种是蜱和人畜共患病原体的主要宿主。我们还需要了解人类如何利用景观，他们最容易被蜱虫叮咬的地方，以及是否可以通过栖息地和宿主管理来防止接触。鉴于最近整个欧洲TBD和蜱虫种群分布的变化，了解长期气候和土地利用变化如何影响TBD的引入、建立和传播也至关重要。TICKSOLVE汇集了来自生态学、流行病学、公共卫生和社会科学的研究人员，旨在解决这些差距。我们将为最佳绿化和林地恢复政策提供证据，这些政策将最大限度地提高生物多样性和人类福祉，同时最大限度地减少当前和未来蜱传疾病对人类的风险：1。将卫生、土地和生物多样性政策中与景观和TBD系统相互作用的主要国家和区域行为体聚集在一起，为TBD制定关键风险情景和可行的环境干预措施。2. 结合生态调查、病原体遗传学和计算机建模，更好地了解景观结构如何影响野生动物寄主分布、栖息地选择和迁徙，从而影响蜱虫和TBD风险。绘制人们如何使用林地景观，以及这与遇到受感染蜱虫的风险之间的相互作用，以确定人类接触的高风险地区。模拟潜在的环境障碍和干预措施如何减少人类暴露，整合整个景观的生态相互作用知识。预测未来林地面积、气候变化和鸟类迁徙模式对TBD风险的影响与当地的利益相关者和决策者共同制定干预措施，以尽量减少当前和未来的TBD风险。这项研究将重点关注对英国构成威胁的三种新出现的病原体。首先是莱姆病（LD），目前存在于英国，可导致长期衰弱。自2000年以来，报告的LD病例增加了10倍，这可能与主要蜱虫媒介蓖麻伊蚊的分布扩大有关。其次，最近在英国的蜱虫中发现了蜱传脑炎（TBE），并有证据表明2019年有疑似人类病例。该病毒使用相同的蜱虫媒介，可造成严重的神经损伤和死亡，每年在欧洲大陆报告的病例约为5,000至12,000例。第三，由世卫组织重点病原体克里米亚-刚果出血热病毒引起的克里米亚-刚果出血热（CCHF）正在欧洲西北部扩大，具有流行潜力。最近在抵达英国的候鸟身上发现了它的蜱虫载体，Hyalomma spp。TICKSOLVE项目平台和与利益相关者共同开发研究、模型和风险沟通材料的方法，考虑到不同的土地管理优先事项，将有助于制定面向未来的林地和绿化政策，最大限度地降低这些不同的ttd的风险。此外，通过网络研讨会和会议与主要全球合作伙伴和网络进行接触，将促进TICKSOLVE跨学科方法向全球其他快速变化的蜱传疾病系统转移。