TickMapKB: A FAIR Spatial Knowledgebase of Tick Species and Associated Pathogens in India

Abstract

Ticks transmit pathogens across wildlife, domestic animals, and humans, and are therefore considered important vectors under the One Health framework. In India, the burden of tick-borne diseases, such as Kyasanur Forest Disease and Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, remains poorly quantified due to fragmented surveillance and limited spatial data. Here, we present TickMapKB, a curated spatial knowledgebase documenting 72 tick species across more than 600 georeferenced locations in India. The majority of the species belonged to the genera Haemaphysalis, Rhipicephalus, and Hyalomma. Additionally, the resource integrates host associations, pathogen and disease information, morphological identification keys, acaricide resistance profiles, and protein annotations into a single, interactive platform accessible at https://cb.imsc.res.in/tickmapkb/. Specifically, the resource captures 53 pathogens, over 3000 protein annotations, and morphological keys from 26 published resources. TickMapKB thus provides researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders with integrated spatial, biological, and resistance information to support surveillance planning, resistance management, and tick-borne disease risk assessment.