VPA 221: Veterinary Entomology and Acarology (1+1)

INTRODUCTION

• Ticks are amongst the most important vectors of human and animal diseases
• They rank second to mosquitoes as vectors of life threatening or debilitating human and animal diseases
• Amongst the arthropod group they transmit greater variety of infectious diseases. and even surpass  mosquitoes in the variety of pathogenic organisms  (bacteria, virus, rickettsiae, protozoa etc.) transmitted
• In addition to their vector potentiality they are important as pests-causing tick paralysis, toxicosis, irritation, bite allergies, immune responses and economic losses due to blood loss
• They are obligate blood sucking arthropods and nearly 850 species are known worldwide
• The major families are
  • Ixodidae or ‘Hard ticks’
  • Argasidae or ‘Soft ticks’
• They infest every class of terrestrial vertebrate, mammals, birds, reptiles and even amphibia