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The Mints
Ticks are large mites that have a leathery cuticle with a hypostome with backward-facing denticles through which they attach to the host. They have a rounded body with a head that is not distinguishable from the body and equipped with a mouthpart structure that can penetrate the skin and suck blood.
They belong to the order Ixodida which is included in the class Arachnida (in which spiders, mites, and scorpions are also found). They are widespread throughout the world, with 900 species divided into three families, of which two are main (Ixodidae and Argasidae).
Adults and nymphs have 8 legs while larvae have 6. Their cycle can be completed on 1, 2, or 3 hosts. The hosts are represented by mammals, birds, and reptiles.
The two main families: Argasidae and Ixodidae.
Both choose the skin area, usually the most glabrous portions (skin of the auricle, inner thighs, base of the tail, shoulders), incising it with special structures called chelicerae, then through the hypostome they attach to the skin, practicing hematophagy (blood-based nutrition)
The Argasids, the soft ticks
These are the so-called “soft ticks”, as they lack a dorsal shield. The legs are six in number for the
larvae and eight in the other stages. Of these, the genera Argas, Otobius, Ornithodoros are of interest. The first two genera are found in countries with a warm temperate climate and are found on mammals and birds. In Italy, the most common is the Argas reflexus known as the pigeon tick. They feed at night and hide in crevices in the ground during the day. This type of feeding causes them to increase in volume, which they nevertheless control by expelling fluids through special excretory structures. The females lay eggs in the ground 4 or 5 times, feeding between each laying.
The Ixodids or hard ticks
They are commonly referred to as “hard ticks”, as they possess a reinforced dorsal cuticle in the shape of a shield. This covers the entire surface in males, and only the anterior portion in females.Usually, adult females feed continuously and gradually for 7 to 12 days, while larvae and nymphs feed for shorter periods. Males, on the other hand, feed intermittently. Once the females have been fertilized, they accelerate their feeding until they are completely engorged, and after leaving the host, they lay eggs, a process that lasts between 10 and 30 days or even longer, after which the female dies.
Damages caused
Many Argasids and Ixodids are of interest to us due to their pathogenic action on our animals. In addition to the direct harmful effects on the skin and the anemizing effects, they carry viruses, rickettsiae, protozoa; all pathogenic agents for animals. On the skin, ticks cause lesions, which can also be granulomatous, in fact giving rise to nodules when the tick dies or is removed incorrectly. They can give rise to a localized skin infection (with erythema, edema, and pain)
They are vectors of many diseases, both in humans and animals, among the most important we recall:
- Lyme disease or Borreliosis; the first Italian case was in 1985, it is a disease caused by a bacterium. Mostly transmitted by ticks of the genus Ixodes. The main reservoirs of this bacterial disease are wild animals such as roe deer, deer, foxes, hares, and rodents. The disease manifests itself with a red spot that tends to expand, and later neurological disorders may develop (myalgias, arthralgias, meningitis, polyneuritis). The disease can become chronic. Normally, antibiotic therapy is performed based on symptomatic data since laboratory tests do not always reveal or exclude it. Since this disease does not lead to the development of immunity, it can be contracted several times during life. In the United States, there is a vaccine against Lyme disease.
- Tick-borne encephalitis or TBE; disease caused by a virus. Tick Borne Encephalitis was first identified in Italy in 1994. Both the dog tick and the forest tick can transmit the disease. In 70% of human infections by this virus, there are few symptomatic manifestations or it presents asymptomatically. In 30% flu-like symptoms may occur 3-28 days after the tick bite; fever may occur but disappears in a few days. In very rare cases, after the aforementioned symptoms, encephalitis may appear, which can be very severe. The disease has a more benign course in children and younger people.
Other transmitted diseases
- Ehrlichiosis; bacterial disease, after 7-21 days from the bite, it manifests with flu-like symptoms and rashes similar to measles. It usually has a benign course.
- Boutonneuse fever; transmitted by the dog tick after a period between 1 and 3 weeks from the bite, in this disease an ulcer may appear at the site of the bite, followed by fever and papular eruptions for 10 days. If not treated with specific antibiotics, complications may occur.
- Q fever; bacterial disease that infests domestic and wild animals through tick bites. The tick bite does not transmit the disease to humans, however, humans can become infected through inhalation of dust containing this microorganism.
- Cytauxzoonosis; parasitic disease (protozoan), transmitted by ticks. It affects domestic and wild felines. Symptoms include: anemia, pallor, fatigue, dark urine. Cats may meow due to suffering. It can have a fatal course.
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