# Tick images reported to Rapportera Fästing during 2023

## About the dataset

This dataset contains all verified reports of tick sightings with corresponding images
reported by the public to the
"Rapportera Fästing" platform (https://rapporterafasting.sva.se/) during 2023
(starting in May when the platform was launched). The platform is developed and
maintained by the Swedish Veterinary Agency (SVA) within the scope of the
European project IDAlert (https://idalertproject.eu/). The dataset is provided
by SVA and is licensed under CC BY 4.0
(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

The dataset includes two
files: `ticks_2023.zip`, which contains the tick image files, and
`ticks_2023.csv`, which contains metadata about each report. Note that the
verification is done on report level, and thus all images may not necessarily
contain ticks, but at least one image per report has been verified as a tick by
experts at SVA. The dataset contains **15,168** unique images from **12,154**
reports.

The metadata has one row per uploaded image and includes the following columns:

- `ref`: A unique identifier for each report. This identifier is the same for
all images uploaded in the same report.
- `file_name`: The name of the image file, connecting each row to an entry in
the `ticks_2023.zip` file.
- `report_date`: The date when the report was submitted.
- `report_county`: The county in Sweden from where the report was submitted.
- `animal_host`: The host on which the tick was found (in Swedish), as reported
by the user and verified by experts at SVA. Can be a number of different
animals from a pretermined dropdown list in the platform, or "Annat djurslag"
(other animal) if the species is not identifiable or among the listed options.
Can also be "I miljön" (in the environment) if the tick was not found on an
animal.
- `tick_genus`: The taxonomic genus of the tick as verified by experts at SVA.
- `tick_gender`: The gender of the tick as verified by experts at SVA. Can be
"Female", "Male", "GenderUnidentified", or blank if the information is not
available.
- `tick_stage`: The life stage of the tick as verified by experts at SVA. Can
be "Larva", "Nymph", "Adult", "StageUnidentified", or blank if the information
is not available.

## About Infectious Disease decision-support tools and Alert systems (IDAlert)

Climate change is one of several drivers of recurrent outbreaks and geographical range expansion of zoonotic infectious diseases in Europe. Policy and decision-makers need tailored monitoring of climate-induced disease risk, and decision-support tools for timely early warning and impact assessment for proactive preparedness and timely responses. To be able to meet this challenge, a holistic perspective is required. The EU-project IDAlert has a clear focus on the link between animals, humans and the environment, with the goal of jointly achieving a more up-to-date and effective preparedness in Europe.

One of the goals of the project is to increase preparedness for new tick-borne infections. In Sweden, we have developed a tool, Report Tick Tool, which is used to monitor and provide early warning signals – if we find a new tick species, there is also a risk that it may carries new infectious agents. Exotic tick species, such as Hyalomma marginatum and Dermacentor reticulatus, which are found sporadically in Sweden, contribute to an increased risk that animals and humans can be infected by tick-borne pathogens that do not currently occur in the country.

Reporting Tick Tool was launched in 2023 and aims for citizens in Sweden to actively report tick findings. During the first year, 20,000 tick findings were reported, which contributed to valuable information about both endemic and exotic tick species. In 2024 a new tick species, Dermacentor marginatus, was discovered for the first time in Sweden. This demonstrates that the surveillance system can function as an early warning for new tick species and to promptly identify exotic tick species which can carry infectious agents that are not currently present in the country.

IDAlert has received funding from the European Union's Horizon Europe programme under Grant Agreement 101057554.