Sick of ticks? Towards a comprehensive understanding of rarely diagnosed Ixodes ricinus-borne diseases

This thesis expands the current knowledge on the impact and risk posed by tick-borne diseases (TBDs) other than LB and TBE in Europe and more specifically in the Netherlands. More importantly, it examines different approaches to do so and how this knowledge could be employed in the control of emerging TBDs.
TBDs represent a puzzle of health care, scientific and societal challenges and each chapter of this thesis constitutes the tackling of one of its many pieces. The different research approaches used show the risk posed by TBDs can only be assessed when epidemiological, clinical, experimental and bioinformatical data are combined. These can subsequently be translated into actionable steps for effective monitoring and control of TBDs in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
Much is left to uncover in the field of TBDs as human populations and their environment mutually reshape each other overtime giving raise to new conditions. Likewise, the tools at our disposal for scientific research, by undergoing constant innovation, expand our ability to solve old problems but also understand new ones prompting further innovation. The task of control and surveillance at the interface between well established and emerging pathogens is thus never ending and comes with a great responsibility that necessitates continuous multidisciplinary collaboration.