Expert Contribution to PRAGMATICK | Thessaloniki, Greece

On 15–16 September 2026, we participated in the final meeting of COST Action CA21170 – PRAGMATICK, held in Thessaloniki, Greece.

PRAGMATICK – Prevention, anticipation and mitigation of tick-borne disease risk applying the DAMA protocol – brought together an international network of specialists working on ticks, tick-borne pathogens, surveillance, ecology and disease-risk mitigation across Europe.

The Thessaloniki meeting combined the Action's final Management Committee meeting with a workshop dedicated to the current and future application of the DAMA protocol for reducing risks associated with ticks and tick-borne pathogens.

Prof. Mihalca contributed to the scientific programme by presenting the main activities and achievements of Working Group 2, focused on ticks and tick-borne disease risks in urban and peri-urban environments, including the scientific outputs generated through the network.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the results of four years of collaboration, discuss how the PRAGMATICK network and its scientific outputs can be carried forward beyond the formal end of the COST Action, and identify future opportunities for international cooperation, surveillance and applied research.

Participation in PRAGMATICK reflects our broader consultancy expertise in vector-borne disease risk, tick ecology, surveillance, One Health and the translation of scientific evidence into practical risk-reduction strategies.