Let’s Talk about Ticks: Combatting Tickborne Diseases with Social Science Research and Outreach

Cases of tickborne diseases are on the rise in the United States, signaling a need for effective public health communication. In response, the PIE Center is exploring perceptions of tickborne diseases to develop educational programs on tick bite risks and prevention strategies. 

This initiative is part of a larger interdisciplinary effort led by the CDC Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (SECVBD): Gateway Program. The PIE Center’s role focuses on the social and behavioral aspects of tickborne disease communication, empowering communities to make informed decisions about tick prevention. 

Online research examines public awareness 

With a large portion of the U.S. population seeking health information online, the PIE Center analyzed discussions surrounding ticks on digital platforms. Social media content and online searches were examined to identify opportunities for enhancing tick awareness. 

An analysis of 340 tick-related tweets on X (formerly Twitter) revealed notable trends in engagement. 

“While over half of the tweets lacked images or visual aids, those that included visuals received higher engagement rates,” said Cheng-Xian Yang, UF/IFAS agricultural education and communication graduate assistant working with the PIE Center. “Tweets that only shared website links had lower engagement rates, indicating a need for more visually appealing content.” 

Using Google Trends data, the PIE Center also discovered patterns in online searches for tick information. The highest search volume for tick risks occurred in the Northeastern U.S., while searches for “meat allergy” and “lone star tick” were more prevalent in Eastern and Southeastern states. 

“We found a positive correlation between tick-related searches and popular outdoor activities like ‘u-pick’, ‘park’ and ‘hiking,’” said Lauri Baker, UF/IFAS associate professor of agricultural communication. “Interestingly, a negative correlation was observed with searches for ‘hunting,’ suggesting a potential gap in hunters’ connection of tick risks and their outdoor activities.” 

Agricultural worker survey reveals knowledge gaps 

The PIE Center further explored perceptions through a survey of agricultural workers, a group with frequent exposure to ticks. The survey assessed tick prevention practices, knowledge of tickborne diseases and trusted information sources. 

Results highlighted a concerning knowledge gap: despite half of respondents spending at least three days per week working outdoors, over 70% “rarely” or “never” used tick repellant. Respondents demonstrated satisfactory knowledge for general tick prevention but were largely uninformed about the lone star tick and Asian longhorned tick, two species of growing prevalence. 

Raising awareness through outreach 

The PIE Center has already begun disseminating findings to raise awareness about tickborne diseases through various channels. Baker and Yang discussed preliminary results on the Science by the Slice podcast, while research presentations have increased visibility among academic audiences. 

The team continues to develop outreach materials to further engage the public on this important topic. To learn more about the project and access resources, visit https://piecenter.com/ticktalk/.