We prepared a digital questionnaire to capture knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) regarding ticks and tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in 20 languages. The questionnaire was distributed to 21 universities and research institutions in 22 European countries and 9401 valid responses were collected. Most survey participants identified ticks correctly and regarded ticks as a serious health risk. There was also a good level of knowledge regarding tick activity, habitats and the predominant TBPs in the country or region. Moreover, most respondents were familiar with effective tick protection and removal measures. Over 75 % of respondents had been bitten by ticks and up to 12 % of participants had been diagnosed with a tick-borne infection in the past. Respondents from northern and central European countries who reported engaging in outdoor activities more frequently, reported increased frequencies of tick bites and infection with TBPs compared to respondents from southern Europe. Awareness of national information campaigns on ticks and TBPs was also greater among respondents from northern and central European countries than among Mediterranean countries. This study identified knowledge gaps among respondents from some European countries where TBPs have not been prioritised historically. These knowledge gaps should be addressed by reputable bodies to encourage personal protective behaviours without causing alarm and to forestall the spreading of incorrect and unreliable information propagated by some social media sources.

ANSES INRAE Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire d'Alfort UMR BIPAR Laboratoire de Santé Animale Maisons Alfort F 94700 France

Department of Animal Biosciences Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden

Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery College of Veterinary Medicine Complutense University of Madrid Spain

Department of Biology and Wildlife Diseases Faculty of Veterinary Hygiene and Ecology University of Veterinary Sciences Brno Czech Republic

Department of Biology University of Turku Finland

Department of Medical Biology School of Public Health Collegium Medicum University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn Poland

Department of Microbial Ecology and Acaroentomology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Wrocław Poland

Department of Natural Sciences University of Agder Kristiansand Norway

Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj Napoca Romania

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry Faculty of Pharmacy Riga Stradins University Latvia

Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences University of Copenhagen Denmark

Department of Veterinary Medicine Faculty of Agriculture University of Novi Sad Serbia

Department of Veterinary Sciences University of Turin Italy

Evolutionary Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Antwerp Wilrijk Belgium

Global Health and Tropical Medicine Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine NOVA University of Lisbon Portugal

Institute for Parasitology Centre for Infection Medicine University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Germany

Institute for Production Animal Clinical Science Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Norwegian University of Life Sciences Sandnes Norway

Institute of Evolution HUN REN Centre for Ecological Research Budapest Hungary; Centre for Eco Epidemiology National Laboratory for Health Security Budapest Hungary

Institute of Parasitology University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Austria

Institute of Zoology Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava Slovakia

Institute of Zoology Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava Slovakia; Department of Environmental Ecology and Landscape Management Faculty of Natural Sciences Comenius University Bratislava Slovakia

Laboratory of Entomology Wageningen University and Research Wageningen the Netherlands

Marmara University Health Sciences Faculty Istanbul Turkey

Senior Consultant Ministry of Human Health Madrid and University of Zaragoza Spain

UCD Veterinary Sciences Centre University College Dublin Ireland

Veterinary Research Institute Hellenic Agricultural Organisation Demeter Thessaloniki Greece

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