- Launched by the National Institute for Agronomic Research, CiTIQUE invites citizens to inform scientists of their tick bites. And even to send the mite to a tiquotheque in Nancy.
- In two years, this participatory science program has made it possible to perfect knowledge on the risk of a tick bite in France, and on associated diseases, including Lyme disease.
- CiTIQUE does not stop this Monday, but instead has a new application. Explanation.
23,500 bites reported all over France, and 20,000 ticks sent to the laboratory “All Researchers” of the Center Inrae (National Institute of Agronomic Research) in Nancy… Launched in 2017, CiTIQUE, a participatory science program, has borne fruit by allowing scientists to learn more about ticks and the diseases associated with them. Including Lyme disease, almost unknown to the general public a few years ago, and difficult to diagnose.
CiTIQUE is based on "Tick Reporting", a free application. Via a smartphone or a computer, it makes it possible to quickly indicate to scientists the existence and the ecological conditions of tick bites, whether they are spotted on a human or an animal. And to go further by sending the offending tick to Nancy, in the first and only French participatory ticket library.
Mapping the risk of stinging in France
"A precious support for analyzes," says micro-biologist Pascale Frey-Klett, research director of Inrae who launched this participatory science program with Jean-François Cosson. There are many species of ticks in France. The initial idea of this program was to know which biting, which biting, especially in humans or animals, but also to analyze their content of infectious agent. "
Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease, is just one of these pathogens. “Ticks can carry other bacteria, but also parasites, such as babesia, which we are starting to talk about more and more, or viruses, list Pascale Frey-Klett. There can also be co-infections, a tick that can infect the person bitten with several pathogens at the same time. "
Also in gardens and public parks
The thousands of data collected by CiTIQUE have enabled researchers in two years to draw up a map of the risks of a tick bite in France. With the key several valuable lessons. The data have already made it possible to confirm the periods most at risk for biting: spring and autumn. The analysis of the infectious content also showed that 15% of the ticks analyzed on the metropolitan territory are carriers of the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease. "In other words, they are everywhere in France, and not only in certain regions, as some people think," explains Pascale Frey-Klett.
"Very quickly, too, the reports highlighted the risk of being bitten in public gardens and parks, and not only during forest hikes, as we too often think," continues the micro-biologist. In addition, we recorded an increase in reports of stings in private gardens during confinement. "
Other research still focuses on the risk that pets, who carry their share of ticks, on the rest of the family. "We have noticed that the increase in reports of bites in dogs and cats begin three to four weeks before the increase in reports in humans, which could make these pets a good sentinel", adds Pascale Frey -Klett.
After long months of work, the SIGNALING TIQUE application has been given a new look thanks to the support of our partners, in particular @CPIE Nancy Champenoux and #FondationGroupama: https://t.co/sy9vtjZVcw. New features for users and researchers to discover! pic.twitter.com/Mu2pgZ2u41
- CiTIQUE (@ci_ticks) May 18, 2020A new version to go further
So many questions that remain to be refined. This is why CiTIQUE does not stop but, on the contrary, intends to move up a gear. The participatory science program has this Monday a new application with features that are more practical for users and more useful for researchers. Users can now create several profiles within the same account - ideal for families -, follow the history of reports, report an injection even offline, the application transmitting the report once the internet connection is found, or still benefit from information on prevention and post-bite follow-up.
"In addition, from July, a new modality will allow users to report outings during which they have not been bitten," continues Pascale Frey-Klett. It is also information that counts to perfect our mapping of the risk of stinging in France. "
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