Ticks 1

Question 1

Importance of ticks

Answer 1

Damage/bite wounds
Transmit disease**
Threaten human-animal bond
Blood loss
Tick paralysis

Question 2

Methods tick use to find hosts

Answer 2

Use Haller’s organ - first pair of legs to detect CO2 & BO
Sense heat, moisture and vibrations
Questing - place to wait for host, common in grass ends

Question 3

Tick paralysis

Answer 3

Progressive flaccid ascending paralysis - leads to respt paralysis and death
Caused by toxin produced by female ticks attached close to CNS - attached for several days prior to releasing
removal can prevent or increase recovery

Question 4

Features of tick in the east US

Answer 4

All are hard ticks - ixodidae
Mouth project forward, scutum differentiates M/F
Life cycle includes 4 stages - egg, larva, nymph, adult
All are 3 host ticks

Question 5

3 host tick life cycle

Answer 5

Each stage of the tick life cycle involve a separate host, time in between host involve a molting to a new phase
Larva have 3 pairs of legs and then molt to 4

Question 6

5 species of ticks in the US

Answer 6

Dermacentor variabilis
Ixodes scapularis
Amblymma americanum
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Haemaphysalis longicornis

Question 7

Dermacentor variabilis

Answer 7

American dog tick
3-host life cycle
Larvae - rodents
Nymph - mid/small animals
Adults - mid/large animals

Question 8

Recognizing dermacentor variabilis

Answer 8

Ornate tick - short mouthparts Square basis capituli
pattern covers scutum (m=full, f=partial)

Question 9

Distribution of dermacentor variabilis

Answer 9

Life cycle vary in latitude, 3m south, 2y+ north
Adults prefer grassy meadows near roads
Common march - mid summer

Question 10

Importance of dermacentor variabilis

Answer 10

Tick paralysis*
Primary vector of Rickettsia rickettsii *** RMSF
- between molting stages (transstadial) and mom to egg (transovarial)
Can also cause anaplasmosis in cattle

Question 11

Dermacentor Andersoni

Answer 11

Rocky Mountain wood tick
Tick paralysis*
Transmits RMSF & tularemia
Found in western us

Question 12

Ixodes scapularis

Answer 12

Deer tick/black legged tick
Young stages prefer small animals, birds - north, lizards - south
Adults prefer deer/large mammals
2y life cycles - can survive over winter

Question 13

Recognizing Ixodes scapularis

Answer 13

NON ornate, LONG mp
All brown/black, deep bites
Anterior anal grove - all stages
Smallest ticks are the important ones (larvae only 0.5mM)

Question 14

Distribution of Ixodes

Answer 14

Easter half of us and tiny parts of west coast / Utah

Question 15

Life cycle of Ixodes scapularis

Answer 15

Larvae - late august/early fall
Nymphs - late winter (late summer by region)
Adults - late fall/early winter
Quest in woodland/margin woodland

Question 16

Disease transmission of Ixodes scapularis

Answer 16

Lyme disease - borrelia burgdorferi
Anaplasmosis - Anaplasma phagocytophilum

Question 17

Why is Ixodes scapularis expanding

Answer 17

Reforestation of large areas - create suitable habitats for the tick/host life stage
Climate change contributed to increase - not the main reason

Question 18

Amblyomma americanum

Answer 18

Lone star tick
Long mouth parts
Females have a long star spot on margin of scutum, males are bland

Question 19

Life cycle of Amblyomma americanum

Answer 19

Parasitize deer as larva, nymph, adult
Very promiscuous feeders - use ground nesting birds and med/large animals
ALL stages feed on: dogs, cats, horses, cattle, goats, ppl
Found on forest floor - respond highly to CO2

Question 20

Distribution of Amblyomma Americanum

Answer 20

Widely distributed across eastern half of US
Texas up to Iowa and across to Maine

Question 21

Importance of Amblyomma americanum

Answer 21

Cytauxzoon felis**
Tularemia - francisella Tularenis
Ehrlichia Ewingii and chaffeensis- cause canine granulocytic ehrlichiosis

Question 22

Red meat allergies

Answer 22

Alpha Gal syndrome is ID to produce a type of food allergy to red meat.

Question 23

Amblyomma maculatum

Answer 23

Gulf coast tick
3 host tick - each life stage feeds on different host species
L&N - SA, birds, rodents, rabbits
Adult - LA, dogs, coyotes, ruminants - ears**

Question 24

Importance of Amblyomma maculatum

Answer 24

Hepatozoon americanum**

Question 25

Preferred host for dermacentor variabilis

Answer 25

Larvae - rodents
Nymph - mid-small mammals
Adults - med/large mammals

Question 26

Length of life cycle - dermacentor variabilis

Answer 26

Varies w latitude
3 m - south
2y+ north

Question 27

Preferred host for Ixodes scapularis

Answer 27

Immature - SA mammals, birds - N, lizards - S
Adults - DEER, LA mammals

Question 28

Life cycle length of Ixodes scapularis

Answer 28

2 y in temperate areas
CAN OVERWINTER**

Question 29

Length of life cycle - Ixodes scapularis

Answer 29

Larvae - late summer, peak in august
Nymph - late winter
Adults - late fall/early winter (October) OVERWINTER

Question 30

Recognizing Amblyomma americanum

Answer 30

Ornate, LONG mouthparts
Female has dot on scutum, male has faint white margins

Question 31

Preferred host of Amblyomma Americanum

Answer 31

ANYTHING
Birds to large mammals - all stages

Question 32

Length of life cycle - Amblyomma Americanum

Answer 32

Larvae - summer/fall
Nymph/adults - sm-mid mammals, spring/summer

Question 33

Preferred host of Amblyomma maculatum

Answer 33

Larvae/nymph - birds, rodents, rabbits
Adults - dogs, coyotes, ruminants ears

Question 34

Features of rhipicephalus sanguineus

Answer 34

NON ornate, SHORT mouthparts
HEXAGONAL basis capituli

Question 35

Length of life cycle - Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Answer 35

Larvae - feed 3-7d
Nymph - feed 4-9d
Females - feed 6-12d

Question 36

preferred host of rhipicephalus sanguineus

Answer 36

DOGS **

Question 37

** about Haemaphysalis longicornis

Answer 37

feed on EVERYTHING
Reproduce parthenogenetically
spread Theileria orientalis - cattle