AI Insight
TickMapKB is a comprehensive spatial database documenting 72 tick species across more than 600 georeferenced locations in India, with the majority belonging to the genera Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma. The knowledgebase integrates multiple data types including host associations, 53 pathogen species, over 3000 protein annotations, morphological identification keys from 26 published resources, and acaricide resistance profiles into a single interactive platform. This resource addresses the fragmented surveillance data for tick-borne diseases in India, such as Kyasanur Forest Disease and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever.
Why it matters
This integrated database provides essential tools for researchers, clinicians, and public health officials to improve surveillance planning, manage acaricide resistance, and assess tick-borne disease risks under the One Health framework. By consolidating previously scattered spatial and biological data, it enables better-informed decisions about disease prevention strategies affecting wildlife, domestic animals, and human populations in India.
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⚠️ Preprint – Noch nicht peer-reviewed
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Ticks transmit pathogens across wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, and are therefore considered important vectors under the One Health framework. In India, the burden of tick-borne diseases, such as Kyasanur Forest Disease and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, remains poorly quantified due to fragmented surveillance and limited spatial data. Here, we present TickMapKB, a curated spatial knowledgebase documenting 72 tick species across more than 600 georeferenced locations in India. The majority of the species belonged to the genera Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma. Additionally, the resource integrates host associations, pathogen and disease information, morphological identification keys, acaricide resistance profiles, and protein annotations into a single, interactive platform accessible at https://cb.imsc.res.in/tickmapkb/. Specifically, the resource captures 53 pathogens, over 3000 protein annotations, and morphological keys from 26 published resources. TickMapKB thus provides researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders with integrated spatial, biological, and resistance information to support surveillance planning, resistance management, and tick-borne disease risk assessment.
Source: TickMapKB: A FAIR Spatial Knowledgebase of Tick Species and Associated Pathogens in India