Dermacentor variabilis
Dermacentor variabilis
Dermacentor variabilis, commonly known as the American dog tick or wood tick, is a species of tick that is known to carry diseases harmful to humans.
Pronunciation
Dermacentor variabilis: /dɜːrməˈsɛntɔːr vɛəriˈeɪblɪs/
Etymology
The name Dermacentor variabilis is derived from the Greek derma meaning skin, kentron meaning stinger, and the Latin variabilis meaning changeable.
Description
Dermacentor variabilis is a hard-bodied tick species found in the eastern and central United States. It is known to carry and transmit several diseases, including Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
Life Cycle
The life cycle of Dermacentor variabilis includes four stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. The tick requires a blood meal at each stage before it can progress to the next.
Disease Transmission
Dermacentor variabilis is a vector for several diseases. It is the primary vector for Rocky Mountain spotted fever, a severe illness caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. It can also transmit Francisella tularensis, the bacterium that causes tularemia, and Babesia canis, a protozoan parasite that causes canine babesiosis.
Prevention and Control
Prevention of Dermacentor variabilis infestations involves avoiding tick habitats, using tick repellents, and performing regular tick checks. Control measures include the use of acaricides and habitat modification.
Related Terms
- Tick: A small arachnid that is a parasite on mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians.
- Vector (epidemiology): An organism that does not cause disease itself but which spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever: A bacterial disease spread through the bite of an infected tick.
- Tularemia: A highly infectious and lethal disease of rabbits, occasionally transmitted to humans by ticks or flies, or by handling infected animals.
- Canine babesiosis: A malaria-like parasitic disease caused by infection with Babesia, a genus of protozoan piroplasms.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Dermacentor variabilis
- Wikipedia's article - Dermacentor variabilis
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