Dermacentor spp. (1)

Question 1

What are the common names?

Answer 1

American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni)

Winter or Elk Tick (Dermacentor albipictus)

Tropical Horse Tick (Dermacentor nitens)

Question 2

What are the hosts for larvae and nymphs?

Answer 2

Small Rodents

Question 3

What are the hosts for adults?

Answer 3

Dogs

Larger animals

Humans

Question 4

How do you identify?

Answer 4

15 mm fed

Festoons

Up to 6 mm unfed - Medium sized

Rectangular basis capituli

Short palps

Ornate scutum

Pale brown to gray

Question 5

Explain the life cycle

Answer 5

3 host tick

Grassy meadows, young forests, roadways, and trails

Several months-years

Question 6

What are the predilection sites?

Answer 6

Head

Neck

Skin

Question 7

Describe the Pathogenesis

Answer 7

Most common tick on dogs in most of North America

Transmits

 - Babesia spp.
 - D. variabilis
        - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
        - Tularemia
        - Cytauxzoonosis
 - D. andersoni
        - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
        - Tularemia

Both cause tick paralysis

 - Form of tick toxicosis
 - Acute ascending motor paralysis
 - Caused by neurotoxin from females

Question 8

How do you diagnose?

Answer 8

Identification of tick

Question 9

What is important about Dermacentor spp.?

Answer 9

It is ZOONOTIC!