About the team & the project

Using a smartphone app, we are trying to determine where and how often people become exposed to ticks across the United States, while users can access tick ID services and more. The Tick App is a joint effort between partners at the Northeast and Midwest CDC Regional Centers for Excellence in Vector-Borne diseases.

This study is conducted by researchers from Columbia University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Michigan State University, and the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Funding for this study is provided by the Centers for Disease Control.

The main goal of this project is to study human behavior, tick exposure and the risk of Lyme Disease using a citizen science approach via a smartphone application, The Tick App. The Tick App uses a combination of surveys and geolocation technology to uncover how people’s day-to-day activities play a role in their risk for tick-borne diseases. This information can help to develop disease control programs that allow people to enjoy their outdoor activities safely while reducing disease risk. 

In two words, Lyme disease.

Lyme disease can be transmitted to humans after a tick bite. This study is designed to help us understand how people’s practices and activities impact their exposure to ticks. This research is being conducted because Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease (infections transmitted by the bite of infected arthropod species, such as mosquitoes, ticks, sandflies, etc) in the United States.

The information provided will help us design integrated control strategies to prevent diseases transmitted by ticks.