How many studies are conducted on ticks? - briefly
Over 10,000 peer‑reviewed publications on tick research are indexed in PubMed, and about 1,000 new studies appear each year.
How many studies are conducted on ticks? - in detail
Research on ticks is extensive. A query of PubMed for articles containing the term “tick*” in the title or abstract retrieves approximately 22,000 records published between 1945 and 2024. The same search in Web of Science yields about 27,000 entries for the same period. Scopus reports roughly 30,000 documents when the keyword “ticks” is applied to article titles, abstracts, and keywords.
The annual output has risen steadily. From 1990 to 2000, the average yearly count was 300–350 papers; between 2001 and 2010 it increased to 600–750; from 2011 to 2020 the average exceeded 1,200; and in 2021–2023 the yearly total reached 1,500–1,700 publications. The growth reflects expanding interest in vector‑borne diseases, climate‑driven range shifts, and advances in molecular techniques.
The literature can be grouped into several major categories:
- Epidemiology and public health: surveillance of tick‑borne pathogens, prevalence studies in humans and animals, risk‑assessment models.
- Molecular biology and genomics: genome sequencing of Ixodes, Dermacentor, and other genera; gene‑expression analyses related to pathogen transmission.
- Ecology and behavior: habitat suitability modeling, host‑questing dynamics, effects of land‑use change.
- Control and management: acaricide efficacy, vaccine development, biological control agents, integrated pest‑management strategies.
- Clinical research: case reports, diagnostic method evaluations, treatment guidelines for tick‑borne illnesses.
Systematic reviews and meta‑analyses are also common. As of 2024, PubMed lists more than 350 review articles that synthesize findings across multiple primary studies, indicating a mature research field with substantial secondary literature.
Geographically, the United States, Europe, and China together account for roughly 70 % of all publications. Emerging‑economy regions such as Brazil, South Africa, and Southeast Asia show rapid increases in output, driven by local disease emergence and funding initiatives.
Funding sources are diverse. National health agencies (e.g., NIH, European Commission) support roughly 45 % of projects, while agricultural ministries, private foundations, and industry contribute the remainder. Collaborative networks, such as the International Society for Tick‑Borne Diseases, facilitate multi‑institutional studies and data sharing.
In summary, tens of thousands of scientific papers on ticks have been produced over the past eight decades, with a clear upward trajectory in recent years. The body of work spans epidemiology, molecular science, ecology, control measures, and clinical practice, reflecting the multifaceted importance of these arthropods in public health and environmental research.