ixode ticks

1.

Ixodwarts
The school of Tickcraft
The school of a young tick IXODWARTS is announcing admission for
the spring-autumn semester!
The lessons about the surviving in the grass, stealth attack
and infection spreading are opening from APRIL to
OCTOBER.
THE PROGRAM INCLUDES:
The structure of the Ixodid tick,
Stages of the life cycle,
Features of the seasonal activity,
A number of diseases which a tick can endure.
Welcome to IXODWARTS: the school where every semester takes place in the grass and
every exam is passed with a bite!
The admission is strictly according to the bite, but you won’t bite the dust here.

2.

HERBOLOGY: WHERE THE TICK IS LURKING
Ticks do not fly or jump, but slowly crawl on the ground, grass, stems and branches and hide in a ground plants
layer.
Ixodid ticks have a worldwide (cosmopolitan) distribution. The greatest species diversity is concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions (Southeast Asia,
Africa, Indo-Malayan region) where high humidity and big diversity of hosts are combined. Ixodid ticks are also widespread in temperate latitudes (including
almost the whole territory of Russia), but in a less number of species; they are found from the Arctic to the southern borders of continents.
1.
Castor bean Tick
(Ixodes ricinus)
Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Phylum: Arthopods (Arthropoda).
Subphylum: Chelicerata.
Class: Arachnids (Arachnida).
Family: Hard ticks (Ixodidae).
Genus: Ixodes.
Habitat: temperate latitudes — forests,
forest-steppe, rainforests, forest edges,
forest pathways.
2. Taiga Tick
(Ixodes persulcatus)
Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Phylum: Arthopods (Arthropoda).
Subphylum: Chelicerata.
Class: Arachnids (Arachnida).
Family: Hard ticks (Ixodidae).
Genus: Ixodes.
Habitat: taiga of the Western Europe and
Siberia; taiga and forest-steppe transition
zones (cold climate).
4. Bont-legged Tick
(Hyalomma spp.)
3. Ornate sheep Tick
(Dermacentor marginatus)
Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Phylum: Arthopods (Arthropoda).
Subphylum: Chelicerata.
Class: Arachnids (Arachnida).
Family: Hard ticks (Ixodidae).
Genus: Dermacentor.
Habitat: dry/semi-arid zones —steppes,
forest-steppe with tall grass, pastures,
meadows, shrub areas.
Kingdom: Animals (Animalia).
Phylum: Arthopods (Arthropoda).
Subphylum: Chelicerata.
Class: Arachnids (Arachnida).
Family: Hard ticks (Ixodidae).
Genus: Hyalomma.
Habitat: deserts, semi-deserts, dry/hot
steppes; in Eurasia — Southern Russia,
Middle Asia, Middle East, Northern Africa.
Prefers dry biotopes.

3.

General structure
A tick is divided into
the anterior
mouthparts
(gnathosoma) and the
posterior body
(idiosoma) with a
shield (scutum) on its
back.
ANATOMY SPELL: THE STRUCTURE
OF IXODID TICK
09:00~10:30
Gnathosoma
Gnathosoma has a
cutting-sucking type
oral apparatus. It
contains of
chelicerae for cutting
skin, hypostome for
anchoring to the host
and palps for the
sense of touch.
Sed do eiusmod
tempor incididunt ut
labore
Dorsal side and
idiosoma
Idiosoma has 4
pairs of legs for
mature ticks and
nymphs and 3 for
larvae. A scutum on
it covers the entire
back of a male,
while a female and
a nymph have a
scutum only on the
frontal part of the
body.
Fixation and nutrition
Ventral side
FIXATION. During a
bite gnathosoma is
immersed in tissues,
anchoring a tick with
microscopic backwardpointing denticles.
NUTRITION. Blood
sucking has two
phases: slow
absorption in small
portions and final
period (12-24 hours) –
intensive suction,
during which the mass
of tick can increase
tenfold.

4.

TRANSFIGURATION: FROM AN EGG TO IMAGO
At the each stage a tick gets its own «practice course» ̶ bloodsucking (hematophagy).
Life cycle includes stages: egg – larva – nymph – imago.
The development can take from one to several years depending on environmental conditions, seasonality and presence of
hosts.
EGG
Eggs are laid in soil or
leaf litter by an engorged
adult
female;
embryogenesis
lasts
from weeks to months
depending
on
temperature
and
humidity.
HOST № 1
HOST № 2
HOST № 3
BLOODSUCKING UP TO 5 DAYS
BLOODSUCKING UP TO 5 DAYS
BLOODSUCKING UP TO 7 DAYS
NYMPH (8-legged stage,
ap. 1 mm)
Ectoparasite, seeks a
second, usually larger
host;
bloodsucking
continues from decades of
minutes to days; after
dropping off it molts into
an adult tick.
IMAGO (an adult tick, 2-4
mm)
LARVA (6-legged
stage, ap. 0,5 mm)
Ectoparasite of the
small mammals and
birds;
bloodsucking
period takes several
days, then larva drops
off and molts into a
nymph.
EGGS
LARVA
Seeks for the host № 1
from days to 1 year
NYMPH
Seeks for the host № 2
from days to 1 year
IMAGO
Male or female.
Seeks for the host № 3 from
days to 1 year
EGG LAYING
Sexually mature ectoparasite,
female is a two-host by type
of nutrition; male and female
meet at the host, then a
female sucks blood for a long
period of time (days), drops
off on the ground, lays eggs
and dies.
(up to 3000 eggs)
Engorged female
of a size up to 15
mm

5.

DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK
ARTS: TICK-BORNE DISEASES
Tick-borne Encephalitis (TBE)— a viral
infectious disease involving the central nervous system.
It’s caused by a RNA-containing virus. The main
transmission mechanism is vector-borne, which means
from the infected tick to a host. When a tick cuts into the
human’s skin, it injects saliva with a virus. The infection
can occur after the first minutes of anchoring and the
longer a tick stays, the bigger is the possibility.
Borreliosis (Lyme disease) — infectious disease,
Ixodid ticks can transmit viral
(tick-borne viral encephalitis
(TBE), hemorrhagic fevers)
and bacterial (ixodid tickborne borreliosis, tick-borne
rickettsiosis) diseases.
transmitted through a tick bite. It is characterized with the
lesion of skin (“bullseye” rash), nervous system (Bell’s palsy),
joints, muscles and heart (carditis), can be chronic. The
transmission mechanism is vector-borne. When a tick bites
and saliva comes inside the skin, with it come Borrelia
bacteria that it contains. The bacteria activates in intestines of
a tick and penetrates its salivary glands.
THE SITE OF A TICK BITE DUE TO THE LYME DISEASE
THE ATROPHY OF THE
MUSCLES OF A SHOULDER
AND RIGHT SHOUDER
BLADE DUE TO TBE
POLIOMYELITIS DUE TO
TBE
Symptoms depend on a clinical form of TBE:
• Abortive (Febrile) Form: A self-limiting flu-like illness lasting several days,
characterized by fever, headache, and fatigue, without nervous system involvement.
• Meningitis (Meningeal Form): The most frequent clinical manifestation, presenting
with high fever, nausea, vomiting, and stiff neck.
• Meningoencephalomyelitis/Radiculitis: A severe form that can involve paralysis,
particularly of the shoulder girdle, and respiratory failure.
• Encephalitis (Encephalitic Form): A severe form characterized by cognitive
dysfunction, consciousness disorders, tremors, and severe headaches.
Diagnosis: blood/cerebrospinal fluid/serum test.
Symptoms: at an early localized stage (3–30 minutes after the
bite) it starts with erythema migrans — a circular “bullseye” rash
around the bite site. With time the central part of the erythema turns
pale and it becomes a light circle. Apart from that, the symptoms are:
• temperature rise;
• chills;
• headache;
• weakness, fatigue;
• pain in muscles and joints;
• nausea, vomiting (in 5-10% of patients).
Diagnosis: serological studies (blood test
for antibodies).
The infection occurs right after a tick anchors, so the consequences can be very serious and demand immediate attention!

6.

THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON:
PROPHYLAXIS AND EXAMINATION
On this course the magic won’t help you, but the prophylaxis will!
WHAT TO DO WHEN A TICK BITES YOU
VACCINATION AGAINST TICK-BORNE
ENCEPHALITIS
Recommended for: people who live in endemic
areas or are planning to travel there.
When to start: in advance, about 2.5 months
before the trip or risk season.
How it is carried out: vaccination consists of
several injections; the specific scheme
depends on the drug.
Interval between doses: usually at least 2
months between injections.
When protection is formed: at least 14 days
must pass after the last vaccination before
departure to the endemic zone.
Why it is necessary: so that immunity can be
formed before possible contact with the tick.
Revaccination: carried out according to the
scheme of a specific vaccine.
1. Do not pull off the tick forcefully.
Abrupt removal can cause part of the mouthpiece to remain in the
skin and cause inflammation.
2.
Remove the tick as soon and carefully as possible.
Use tweezers or a thread. Grab the tick as close to the capitulum
as possible and remove it in a slow, steady motion without jerks
and pressure on the body of the parasite.
3. Treat the bite site.
After removing the tick, rinse the skin and apply an antiseptic.
4. Save the tick for examination.
If possible, place a tick in a resealable container with a wet cloth
and transfer it to a laboratory for infection testing.
5. Keep an eye on how you feel.
Over the next few days, keep an eye on the bite site and general
condition. If you feel unwell, redness, fever, or unusual symptoms
appear, consult a doctor.
CHECKLIST OF BEHAVIOR IN NATURE AND
PARKS:
Wear closed clothes, a hat, and tuck your
trousers into your socks.
Choose light-colored clothes: it's easier
to spot a tick on them.
Use repellents and treat clothes
according to the instructions.
Do not sit down or lie down on the grass.
Keep to the paths and avoid dense grass
and bushes.
Conduct self- and mutual inspections
every 10-15 minutes.
After the walk, examine the body, clothes,
and belongings.
Do not bring outerwear and plucked
plants into the house without inspection.
If there are pets at home, treat them
regularly with special tick repellents and
inspect them after walks.