Chapter 1 - A brief introduction to ticks

Abstract

Ticks are fairly unpleasant creatures, and for most people, the first encounter with one will be the discovery of a tick in the process of biting them or their pets. Unlike most other biting arthropods, ticks hang around at the bite site, so are often caught in the act. Unless removed promptly, there is also the possibility that the resulting encounter may lead to the transmission of one of a vast range of pathogens that in some cases can cause debilitating disease and in extreme cases death. This raises the question of what role, either positive or negative, they play within the ecosystems they exist in. For the owners of livestock around the world, ticks represent a threat to the health and well-being of virtually all domesticated animals and one to which huge resources are directed at suppressing tick infestation. The combination of a source of disease and the economic threat they pose means that ticks cannot be ignored and that understanding their biology, ecology, and disease transmission is an important first step in combatting tick-borne infections.