Talk at the 'Let's talk about ticks' conference in September 2025
Abstract
In response to the growing need for ecosystem services, cities have adopted nature-based solutions like tree planting and green corridors to increase biodiversity and improve climate change resilience. However, these efforts may inadvertently increase tick-borne disease risk by attracting wildlife tick hosts. This study examines how deer abundance, tick density, and Lyme disease hazard in urban greenspaces across the UK are influenced by woodland cover, recent urbanisation, park age, built-up cover, and connectivity. Results indicate that increased connectivity, woodland cover, recent park establishment and urbanisation all contribute to higher deer abundance, tick density, and Lyme disease hazard. These findings highlight a critical challenge for urban planning: while rewilding and greenspace expansion enhance biodiversity and climate resilience, they may also elevate tick-borne disease risks. Future urban design must carefully balance ecological benefits with public health considerations to minimize unintended consequences of rewilding efforts.
Dr Sara Gandy
Research Associate
My research primarily focuses on understanding the ecological drivers of tick-borne diseases to provide insights on the mechanisms involved in transmission cycles, especially on the interactions between ticks, hosts and pathogens. My research includes investigating the impacts of environmental changes (woodland restoration, rewilding) and host community composition (deer, rodent and birds) on tick-borne diseases risks in the UK. Some of my findings uncovered an opposing effect of deer densities on Lyme disease hazard through their positive effects on tick density and negative effects on infection prevalence. I also published work looking at spatiotemporal changes in tick distribution using passive surveillance data and I have been leading the National Tick Survey, which involves collaborating with stakeholders in thirty National Parks and recreational areas to collect ticks and test them for various tick-transmitted pathogens between 2021 and 2024. The goal is to understand disease hazard and temporal variation in areas visited by members of the public and deliver tick awareness messages.