The adult males have a cream-colored shield. These ticks are reddish-brown and look very similar to American dog ticks. Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis) This condition, known as “alpha-gal” allergy, is increasingly being recognized as a health problem throughout this tick’s geographic range. Note: The bite of this tick has been associated with delayed allergic reactions to the consumption of red meat in some humans. These ticks are notoriously aggressive biters, with the greatest risk of being bitten from early Spring through late Fall. Location: The lone star tick is widely distributed throughout the Eastern U.S. Pathogens: The nymphal and adult ticks can transmit human monocytotropic ehrlichiosis (HME), Ehrlichiosis (Ehrlichia chaffeensis, Ehrlichia ewingii, and Panola Mountain ehrlichia), Rickettsiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), Tularemia (Francisella tularensis), Heartland virus, Bourbon virus, Q fever and tick paralysis, as well as Borrelia lonestari, which causes Southern tick-associated rash illness “STARI,” an illness almost identical to Lyme. The adult female is distinguished by a white dot or “lone star” on her back. Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) All life stages can bite humans, but nymphs and adult females are most commonly found on people who are in contact with grass, brush, leaves, logs or pets that have been roaming the outdoors. It’s important to note that adult ticks will search for a host any time when temperatures are above freezing, including winter.īlacklegged ticks are found in a wide variety of habitat that are suitable for birds, large and small mammals such as mice, deer, squirrel, coyotes and livestock. The northern distributions of the blacklegged tick are continuing to spread in all directions from two major endemic areas in the Northeast and Upper Midwest. They are now found throughout the eastern U.S., large areas in the north and central U.S., and the South. Location: Over the last two decades, the distribution of blacklegged ticks has expanded. This tick is also suspected of transmitting Bartonella to humans. Pathogens: The deer tick is known to transmit Borrelia burgdorferi (the agent of Lyme disease), Borrelia mayonii (which causes a Lyme-like illness), Borrelia miyamotoi and Borrelia hermsii (that both cause relapsing fever Borreliosis), Ehrlichia muris (ehrlichiosis), Anaplasma phagocytophilum (anaplasmosis), Babesia microti (babesiosis), multiple species of Rickettsia, deer tick virus, and Powassan virus. This tick is most easily identified by its reddish-orange body, black shield and dark black legs. The following is a list of ticks found in the United States that are known to bite and transmit disease to humans: In some areas the nymphal tick infection rate is actually higher than the adult tick infection rate. While both hard and soft adult ticks are easiest to identify, it is important to note that nymphal ticks are equally capable of transmitting disease. The bite is typically painless and only lasts 15-30 minutes, making it harder to detect. Soft ticks’ life cycle lasts from months to years depending on the species. Nymphal soft ticks may go through as many as seven phases as nymphs, requiring a blood meal at each stage. Soft ticks (Argasidae), like hard ticks begin as an egg, hatch into a larva, feed and then molt into a nymph. The bite of a hard tick is generally painless, with a feeding process lasting several hours, to days, even weeks. The life cycle of hard ticks lasts one to two years depending on the species. Nymphal hard ticks then seek larger hosts, and after feeding drop off and molt into adults. After feeding it drops to the ground from the host and goes through a molting process, emerging as a nymph. Once the egg hatches a larva emerges that must then find and feed on a small mammal or bird (host). Hard ticks (Ixodidae) begin as an egg that is laid by an adult female tick. Hard ticks and soft ticks have different life cycles, growing larger and changing their appearance at each stage. Of the 700 species of hard ticks and 200 species of soft ticks found throughout the world, only a few are known to bite and transmit disease to humans. There are two families of ticks found in the United States: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks).
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