TICKGUARD — Gateway surveillance as an early warning system for emerging tick-borne pathogens in Europecore
TICKGUARD · Horizon Europe grant · 2026-06-01–2028-05-31
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF · scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF · topic HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF-01-01. CORDIS record →
Objective
Tick-borne pathogens represent an escalating One Health challenge, often persisting asymptomatically in livestock and wildlife before causing outbreaks in animals or humans. Crete’s geographic position—at the intersection of Europe, Asia, and Africa—and its role as a major stopover for migratory birds, particularly on Gavdos Island, makes it a natural entry point for exotic and emerging pathogens into Europe. Targeted surveillance in this high-risk gateway offers a unique early-warning opportunity, enabling the detection of threats before they spread northwards or westwards. This fellowship will develop and validate portable, rapid molecular diagnostics for five priority agents—Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV), tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), Anaplasma spp., Babesia spp., and Theileria spp.—using the Pebble nucleic acid amplification device. Ticks and blood samples from 1,800 sheep and goats and from 1,000 wild and migratory birds, will be analysed using both Pebble-based LAMP assays and laboratory-based qPCR/multiplex PCR, enabling a direct performance comparison. Morphological and molecular identification of ticks will detect invasive species and monitor shifts in local populations, while next-generation sequencing will characterise phylogenetic relationships between tick populations and pathogens from neighbouring regions, with a specific focus on circulating CCHFV genotypes and Hyalomma spp. phylogenomics. These results will be integrated into geospatial prevalence maps, enhancing Europe-wide early-warning systems.By integrating diagnostic innovation, high-risk gateway surveillance, and stakeholder engagement, TICKGUARD will strengthen Europe’s capacity for proactive, evidence-based action against transboundary zoonotic threats.
Beneficiaries (2)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDRYMA TECHNOLOGIAS KAI EREVNAS | EL | coordinator | €197,264 | |
| BIOPIX DNA TECHNOLOGY ANONYMI ETAIRIA | EL | associatedPartner | — | Yes |
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