Guest speaker Dr Christina Petridou

Ticks- What are they?

Haematophagous, ectoparasitic arthropods with 8 legs, globose body, no wings, no distinct head (Mandell).

Why do ticks matter?

• Significant vectors for a huge range of diseases including bacteria, viruses and parasites worldwide.
• Feed on human blood which causes transmission of disease.
• The diseases that are transmitted are influenced by epidemiology of the disease and tick species.
• Many ticks remain infected for the duration of their life span.

What is the lifecycle of a tick?

Life cycle- egg -> six-legged larva -> nymph -> adult.

What are the different types of ticks?

(Information on native ticks - GOV.UK)

Broadly grouped into hard ticks (Ixodidae) and soft ticks (Argasidae):

Hard tick (Ixodidae)

image source: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/information-on-native-ticks

Soft tick (Argasidae)

Image source: File:Ornithodoros-savignyi-dorsal.jpg - Wikimedia Commons

UK context