Text from Maya's e-mail.
Dear Deer Serosurveillance Study Volunteers,
I hope that you have all kept well during these difficult times. Thank you all for your fantastic support and commitment to our tick-borne virus deer serosurveillance study. Over 1400 samples have been submitted by study volunteers to date. Please see below the map showing the current distribution of serum samples submitted during 2019/20. I really appreciate the time and effort that you have put into this research and for your continued dedication and support. As with the 2018 study, you will receive results of the samples that you submitted. I will be sending out individual results of deer serum samples tested so far, later this week and will send out final individual results and also an overview report at the end of the study.
We are continuing the study until the end of March 2021. If you would be willing to continue to collect samples for the study, this will be greatly appreciated. You will help us continue to build on the scientific knowledge gained through this research so far, investigating the distribution and prevalence of tick-borne viruses in the UK. If you are willing to collect more samples, and need more kits, please let me know.
We are always looking for additional volunteers anywhere in the UK. If you have any suggestions, or contacts who may be interested in participating in the study, please do pass on my contact details to those who may be interested, or vice versa. The study information sheet and protocol are attached, please feel free to share these to provide more information. We are particularly in need of volunteers in the areas shown in grey on the map below, from which we have not yet received any samples, also for areas, marked by smaller circles, indicating smaller sample numbers.
Areas with fewer sample numbers include: Wales, Scotland, North of England, South East England and the Midlands.
The more comprehensive the geographical distribution of samples, the more thorough the data that we can produce. Thank you so much to those who have already helped to find new volunteers as this has made a huge difference to filling in the geographical gaps and increasing sample numbers.
I have attached the PDF scientific paper (‘ahead of print’ weblink previously sent for this in November 2019) produced as a result of the 2018 Deer Serosurveillance Study. This resulted in the detection of the presence of tick-borne encephalitis virus in ticks in localised areas, for the first time in the UK. I hope this may be of interest to those that participated in this study and those interested in the background of the research. Thank you so much to all of you that contributed to this work, without the contribution of you as volunteers, these findings would not have been made. You may also be aware there have been two probable cases of TBE now reported from Hampshire which are supported by analysis of the samples from the study. More information on these can be found in the below links:
Rare tick-borne infections diagnosed in England
Tick-borne encephalitis virus detected in ticks in the UK
Finally, just a couple of small requests about sample collection:
- Please do collect blood samples from culled deer even if ticks aren’t present on them, blood samples alone are still very valuable for the research.
- If you have more than one sample to post at a time, samples from two deer can be placed into each postage pack. Only the blood tubes need to be placed in the plastic protective packaging, the tick tubes can be placed straight into the jiffy bag.
Many thanks for all of your support and help with this study, please do let me know if you have any questions.
Best wishes
Maya
Maya Holding
Research Scientist, Virology and Pathogenesis group
National Infection Service
Public Health England
Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections
maya.holding@phe.gov.uk
Office tel: +44 (0) 1980 612631
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