SPACE agency funding for a Scottish project testing a new app mapping tick hotspots has been welcomed by a former Lyme disease victim and campaigner.
But Nicola Seal, a former ecologist from Aberdeen, said more still needs to be done to find out how many people are infected and how much it costs the NHS.
The 41-year-old, who contracted the potentially deadly disease from a tick bite while on holiday on Rum and has spent £30,000 on private treatment, said an app was handy for walkers to pinpoint habitats, but called for more research into the range of diseases passed on by the insects.
She said: “It is all very well knowing where the tick habitats are but what we really need to know is how many people are getting infected and how much Lyme disease and the range of other diseases they pass on to humans is costing the NHS in Scotland. If we can bring it down to money that is going to bring us a lot of funding for more research.”
The European Space Agency (ESA) has given £180,000 of financial backing to a project run by NHS Highland, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Scotland’s Rural College to test the new LymeMap app.
NHS Highland said there has been a rise in Lyme disease in humans in the past 10 years. Untreated tick bites can result in neurological problems and joint pain months or years later.
People out walking or cycling will be encouraged to use the app to upload information about where they find ticks.
Using GPS technology, the application will also gather further details such as the height, temperature and vegetation cover of the location where a person uploads their information from.
A one-year study will test the technical and commercial feasibility of LymeMap and if it is successful, and subject to funding, the project could eventually be commercialised.
The health board said the system could be extended to other diseases that can be passed between animals and humans, as well as to other countries if there was funding.
Roger Evans, a clinical scientist with NHS Highland, said: “Unfortunately, health organisations have limited effective tools at their disposal to reduce the incidence of Lyme disease.
“Resident and visiting populations need an approach that will help them prevent getting Lyme disease and manage exposure to ticks. We believe by using technology and what’s commonly called citizen science we can create an interactive and accurate Lyme disease identification and risk-management system.”
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that is spread to humans by infected ticks and flu-like symptoms and fatigue are often the first noticeable signs of infection. Diagnosed cases of Lyme disease can be treated with antibiotics, but if left untreated people can develop serious health problems long after they were bitten.
Professor George Gunn, project leader and head of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Epidemiology Research Unit (ERU), said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Scottish organisations to work together to make a tangible difference to the health of those working outdoors and outdoor enthusiasts who are most likely to be exposed to ticks.
“The ERU has particular expertise in data analysis and will be using this to create risk maps that vary by season, and which will be used to help minimise the risk of ticks to users.”
The ESA funding follows work facilitated by the Centre of Health Science to try to establish the true incidence of the disease in the Highlands and to look at new ways of tackling it.
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