Ticks and tick-borne diseases (TTBDs) constitute a lethal and widespread problem in many tropical areas, with major ramifications for livestock production, wildlife management, and human health and livelihoods. Despite various control strategies applied, TTBDs remain a complex problem, and integrated approaches must be developed to control them effectively. To address this problem, Wageningen University and Research established an interdisciplinary project in 2015 – Environmental Virtual Observatories for Connective Actions (EVOCA) – that focuses, among other things, on mobile phone-based information sharing platforms for TTBDs in Kenya. This study in Laikipia, a semi-arid savanna area of Kenya, is designed to (i) identify issues that complicate effective TTBD control, (ii) explore whether and how local people use mobile phones to address problems, including TTBDs, and (iii) reflect on what citizen science can contribute to the development of mobile phone-based platforms for TTBDs. The study, conducted between November 2016 and August 2017, adopted a mixed-methods approach comprising 21 interviews, field observations, document reviews, and a workshop. Results suggest that the TTBD problem is compounded by a combination of local issues. Insecurity, human–wildlife conflicts, and occurrences of notifiable zoonotic diseases are among the most pressing issues that affect people and influence the kind of information that they share using mobile phones. The motivation to share information on insecurity and human–wildlife conflicts stems from the urgent need for people to collaborate and facilitate prompt action by the security agencies and expectations of compensation from the government for wildlife damages, respectively. Mobile phone adoption rate in Laikipia is ∼70%, suggesting that mobile phones (simple and smart) are widely used for various socioeconomic activities: to communicate with family members and friends and to access information on pressing issues, forming issue-based networks of communication. The widespread use of mobile phones for economic activities such as businesses and banking services have empowered people economically, improving their livelihoods, whereas those without access are probably excluded (disconnected). This study suggests that, despite the widespread adoption of mobile phones, sharing information on TTBDs does not seem to be a major priority for Laikipia residents, as other issues such as insecurity or human–wildlife conflicts take precedence. The design of mobile phone platforms and citizen science for TTBDs should consider such confounding factors to connect with the issues affecting local people.

many虱和tick传播疾病（TTBD）在许多热带地区构成了致死性和普遍性问题，对畜牧业生产，野生动植物管理以及人类健康和生计产生了重大影响。尽管应用了各种控制策略，TTBD仍然是一个复杂的问题，必须开发集成的方法来有效地控制它们。为了解决这个问题，瓦赫宁根大学和研究中心在2015年建立了一个跨学科项目–连通行动环境虚拟观察站（EVOCA）–除其他外，重点放在肯尼亚TTBD基于移动电话的信息共享平台上。这项在肯尼亚半干旱大草原地区Laikipia进行的研究旨在（i）确定使TTBD有效控制复杂化的问题；（ii）探索当地人是否以及如何使用手机解决问题，包括TTBD，以及（iii）反思哪些公民科学可以为TTBD的基于手机的平台的发展做出贡献。该研究于2016年11月至2017年8月进行，采用了混合方法，包括21次访谈，实地观察，文件审查和研讨会。结果表明，TTBD问题与局部问题的组合更为复杂。不安全感，人与自然的冲突以及应通报的人畜共患病的发生是影响人们并影响他们使用手机共享的信息种类的最紧迫的问题。共享有关不安全和人类与野生动植物冲突的信息的动机是由于人们迫切需要合作并促进安全机构迅速采取行动，并期望政府分别对野生动植物造成的损害给予赔偿。Laikipia中的手机采用率约为70％，这表明手机（简单和智能）已广泛用于各种社会经济活动：与家人和朋友进行交流以及获取有关紧迫问题的信息，形成基于问题的交流网络。移动电话广泛用于诸如企业和银行服务之类的经济活动，在经济上赋予人们权力，改善了他们的生活，而那些无法上网的人则可能被排除在外（断开连接）。这项研究表明，尽管广泛使用了移动电话，但对于莱基皮亚居民而言，共享TTBD上的信息似乎并不是优先考虑的事情，因为其他问题（例如不安全感或人与自然的冲突）居于首位。TTBD的手机平台和公民科学的设计应考虑这些混杂因素，以解决影响当地居民的问题。