Ixodes persulcatus from the order of ixodid ticks: what is the parasite dangerous and what diseases is it a carrier
It often happens that after walking in the spring or summer, people can find a tick stuck on their body or on their pets. These bloodsuckers live in grassy forests and low bushes. Taiga ticks do not have eyes, but thanks to a well-developed sensory apparatus, they feel their prey 10 km away. The bites of taiga ticks are dangerous for people, as they are carriers of dangerous diseases, especially encephalitis.
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Taiga ticks: description
The taiga tick belongs to the family of ixodid ticks. The size of the body of a hungry tick is 1-4 mm, it is painted black, brown or reddish. A blood-fed tick can grow up to 15 mm, it becomes a dark gray color. Male and female are slightly different in size.
Taiga tick: photo
Taiga tick: structure
The taiga tick does not have wings or eyes. He is well oriented on the ground and feels his victim 10 km away. On the body of the tick there are 4 pairs of legs, a wedge-shaped head with a small proboscis at the end of which there is a sharp sting, thanks to which it easily bites through the skin and penetrates into the tissues and attaches firmly there.
The female and male taiga tick differ in size and body color. Males are black. Females are reddish, 2/3 of their body is made up of folds that stretch during blood feeding.
The tick larva is about 1 mm in size, has 3 pairs of legs, after molting it turns into a nymph with 4 pairs of legs. The body size of the nymph is about 2 mm. After molting, the nymph becomes a sexually mature individual.
The area of distribution and habitat of the taiga tick
Taiga tick: information about the features of life
The taiga tick is a dangerous parasite that can be a carrier of infectious diseases dangerous for humans and animals. Therefore, knowing the features of his life, knowing the period of his activity, nutrition and reproduction, it is easier to protect himself from him.
Development cycle of the taiga tick
After winter, with the onset of heat, adult sexually mature mites appear. This usually happens in April and lasts until the end of August, beginning of September. The taiga tick goes through 4 stages of development: egg, larva, nymph, adult.
Reproduction
What does the taiga tick eat?
Taiga ticks are bloodsuckers, so they feed on the blood of animals or people. Small larvae stick to small rodents, birds, nymphs are larger than larvae and choose larger animals as their prey. Adults feed on the blood of larger animals, livestock, and the blood of humans.
Natural enemies of taiga ticks
In nature, ticks are hunted by birds, spiders, lizards, riders, wasps, lizards, and frogs. Some eat them, some lay eggs in them. Ticks have enough enemies in their habitat, so it is impossible to carry out mass measures to combat parasites, as other animals, birds and insects may also die. Ticks become infected with various kinds of fungi, and die from these infections.
What is dangerous taiga tick for humans
Infected ticks are carriers of diseases that are dangerous to humans. If, after a bite, at the first manifestations of the disease, you do not go to a medical institution in time, do not conduct an examination and do not begin to treat, then the consequences can be unpleasant. In severe cases, this can lead to disability or even death.
Bite Features
- Having clung to the victim, the tick is looking for a place where to stick and feed on blood.
- With the help of a proboscis, inside of which there are jaws, he bites through the skin and clings to the tissues. The wedge-shaped head of the taiga tick easily penetrates further under the skin.
- When bitten, bacteria and viruses, pathogens of dangerous diseases, which are carried by ticks, enter the wound with the saliva of the parasite.
- The saliva of the tick contains painkillers, and the bite does not feel pain, so you can only notice the parasite when it penetrates the skin with its head.
What should I do if bitten by a tick
If a stuck tick is found on the body, then the first thing to do is to try to remove it entirely, treat the wound, and be sure to pass the parasite alive to the laboratory for research. If you can’t remove it yourself, then it’s better to contact a medical institution and where an experienced physician can pull out the tick.
How to find a tick on the body and remove it
A tick, falling on a person, moves up and down and looks for a place where it can stick. You need to carefully examine yourself and those who are nearby for the presence of ticks. If he has already stuck, then it is not difficult to pull out the tick on your own. You can pull it out in two ways:
- The parasite must be grabbed with tweezers by the head, as close to the body as possible, and scrolling, slowly pull out. Try to pull it out completely and alive.
- Using a thread: thread the thread around the body of the tick and tie it into a knot, stretching the threads to the sides, slowly pulling out the tick.
The bite site can be wiped with alcohol, smeared with iodine or brilliant green. Place the tick in a cloth moistened with water and pack it in a container with a lid, but it is important that there is air access and try to keep it alive.
Where to take the tick for analysis
After removing the tick, it must be taken to the laboratory for research as soon as possible. Be sure to remember or write down the day the parasite was removed. To conduct the study, the tick is needed alive.
How to protect yourself and loved ones
In order not to become infected with a dangerous disease through a tick bite, you need to use chemical means of protection. Some of them are aimed at the destruction of parasites, others scare them away.
Acaricidal-repellent agents are considered the most reliable, they kill parasites and protect against a second attack for some time.
There are special means of protecting humans or pets. Specially designed effective preparations for the cultivation of land.
Clothing treated with an acaricidal agent will protect against attack by parasites. Upon contact with clothing, the tick becomes paralyzed and eventually dies. Clothing should be treated with a spray or aerosol in a well-ventilated area.
But it is not always possible to purchase special protective clothing, when going to nature, you need to choose light-colored clothing that will cover the body as much as possible, tuck trousers into shoes. It is better to choose outerwear with a hood, which is tightened with a drawstring, fasten the cuffs on a shirt or jacket.
In regions where cases of infection with encephalitis after tick bites are often observed, vaccinations are given. Vaccination takes place in three stages.
Standard vaccination takes place in three stages: the first and second vaccinations are given at intervals of 1-3 months, the third - 9-12 months after the second.
Control measures
This includes direct methods for removing and killing ticks, as well as preventive measures.
Fighting activities
For the treatment of forests and adjacent territories, insecticidal and acaricidal agents are used. They cultivate the territory. Experienced professionals use chemicals, observing safety precautions. The duration of the treatments is 1-2 months, and when the mites reappear, they are repeated.
Preventive measures
Preventive measures include:
- clearing territories from dead wood, shrubs, garbage dumps near residential areas;
- treatment of clothing with protective equipment;
- vaccination in risk areas;
- regular inspection for the presence of ticks on clothes, body;
- inspection of animals after a walk.