How to handle vector-borne disease data

We strongly encourage the use of PHAROS to store information on vector-borne transmission of parasites and pathogens.

Combined records of hosts, vectors, and pathogens

In cases with where datasets capture an interaction among a wildlife host, an arthropod vector, and a microbial pathogen, users should take special care to distinguish between two options for association syntax:

Option A: Host-vector-pathogen nested records

Example: "We removed a tick (Ixodes scapularis) from a wild mouse (Mus musculus), and tested it for Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)."

Indicate nested associations by marking the same sample and the same animal (host):

	Sample ID	Animal ID	Host species	Pathogen
1	s001	mm001	Mus musculus	Ixodes scapularis
2	s001	mm001	Mus musculus	Borrelia burgdorferi

Option B: Co-occurring host-parasite and host-vector associations

Example: "We removed a tick (Ixodes scapularis) from a wild mouse (Mus musculus). We also tested blood from the mouse, which was positive for Lyme disease (Borrelia burgdorferi)."

Indicate nested associations by marking different samples from the same animal (host):

	Sample ID	Animal ID	Host species	Pathogen
1	s001	mm001	Mus musculus	Ixodes scapularis
2	s002	mm001	Mus musculus	Borrelia burgdorferi

Pathogen testing in free-living vectors

Researchers may also find themselves in a situation where they test a free-living vector for a vector-borne pathogen. As this denotes a true host-parasite association, this would still be permissible, even if the test result is negative. In these circumstances, the free-living vector should be recorded as the host; e.g., a mosquito tested for dengue fever:

Host species	Detection target	Detection outcome
Aedes aegypti	Dengue virus	Negative

On the other hand, free-living stages without pathogens are outside the scope of this database, and should not be submitted; e.g., a questing tick found in the environment:

Host species	Detection target	Detection outcome
Ixodes scapularis	None	Not applicable

These types of records can be shared in databases like [GBIF] (gbif.org).