Tick Disease Transmission
In most tick species the major cause for concern is the ability to act as a vector for other infectious agents, namely viruses and bacteria. Whilst a tick bite itself may cause irritation and pain, the diseases that they can transmit can be lethal. There are various methods my which ticks can become vectors for parasites or microbes.
- Trans-ovarian transmission
- Infection is passed from one generation of ticks to the next through the egg
- E.g. Babesia
- Trans-stadial transmission
- Parasite or microbial organism is ingested during feeding
- Organism passed onto the next host as the tick develops (only in two and three host ticks)
- It is not passed onto the next generation through the egg