Ticks Health Dictionary

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Ticks: From 1 Different Sources

Ticks are blood-sucking arthropods which are responsible for transmitting a wide range of diseases to humans, including ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER, African tick typhus, LYME DISEASE and ?èvre boutonneuse (see TYPHUS FEVER). Apart from being transmitters of disease, they cause intense itching and may cause quite severe lesions of the skin. The best repellents are dimethyl phthalate and diethyltoluamide. Once bitten, relief from the itching is obtained from the application of calamine lotion. Tick-bites are an occupational hazard of shepherds and gamekeepers. (See also BITES AND STINGS.)
Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary

Ticks And Disease

Small, 8-legged animals that feed on blood and sometimes transmit diseases to humans via their bites. Ticks are about 3 mm long before feeding and become larger when bloated with blood. Ticks may be picked up in long grass, scrub, woodland, or caves.

In the , the only disease known to be transmitted to humans by ticks is Lyme disease. Others transmitted in various parts of the world include relapsing fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Q fever, tularaemia, and certain types of viral encephalitis. The prolonged bite of certain female ticks can cause tick paralysis, in which a toxin in the tick saliva affects the nerves that control movement. In extreme cases, this can be fatal.... ticks and disease


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