BAKTERIEN

The tick, the vector of Lyme Borreliosis

The ticks or Ixodes ricinus, are arachnid mites that live in humid and hot places. During the first part of their life cycle, during hatching, metamorphosis and when searching for a host, they live on the ground. During the second part of their life, they cling to the skin of their host with the help of the rostrum. Its salivary substances are anaesthetic and its victims feel nothing when they bite them. These vectors of Lyme Borreliosis infect animals and humans, making them sick and weakening them. They need their blood to grow.

Modes of action of the tick during the quest phase

The quest phase consists of the tick looking for the host it will cling to in different ways. In regions with a milder climate, the ticks spread over a wide area and over all vegetation. These vectors of Lyme Borreliosis disperse in space and time. They target places where they are more likely to encounter a host: shady areas, grasses. Even tick larvae look for hosts to feed and grow. To do this, they allow themselves to be carried by the current to bite animals that come to drink at the edge of watercourses. The latter will carry the ticks to other places. Ticks have a great capacity to cling to their host. They can just as easily pierce a thick skin like that of a rhinoceros as a smooth, scaly skin like that of a snake. They are also resistant to crushing and do not allow themselves to be tricked by scratching or licking their hosts.

The different species of ticks according to their habitat

The species of this vector of Borreliosis vary according to their habitats. Xerophilic species live in dry environments and hygrophilic species are found in wet regions. Exophilic species hunt on low vegetation: pasture borders, thickets or woodland edges. In the nymphal and larval stages they hunt small animals. As adults they bite ungulates and carnivores. They like to live in the dark with a high humidity level, either as a nesting or endophilic species or as an endophilic species. Some species are mixed, both exophilic and pholeophilic. Some species particularly affect warm areas with particularly high temperatures. Others manage to survive in an arid climate. They rehydrate in the morning and during the night. Ticks of the more primitive genus live in forests and those of the more evolved genus have a penchant for meadows and steppes.

What is the lifespan of the tick?

The average life span of this Borreliosis vector is 2 to 4 years, and can extend up to 7 years. Moisture is the first condition that allows the tick to survive. However, too much water is detrimental to tick larvae. The life cycle of this vector of Lyme Borreliosis passes through 3 stages:

The host changes at every stage of the tick's life. The first two stages will allow it to develop. The last stage will be that of maturity where it will reproduce to perpetuate the species. These vectors of Lyme Borreliosis are very mobile in order to survive and move especially at night. By attaching themselves to a bird or a wild animal, they can go to remote areas. This is how viruses and bacteria spread at an incredible speed.

How to deal with a tick bite

If the Lyme Borreliosis vector is not removed within 24 hours, the risk of contamination is high. Living in an area infested with ticks requires certain conditions, including frequent checks for possible bites in various parts of the body:

When a bite of this Lyme Borreliosis vector is detected, it is very important not to apply any product. It should not be given the opportunity to release the Borrelia bacteria. The first thing to do is to remove the tick using a tick remover sold in pharmacies. Care must be taken to remove the tick completely. The head must not remain under the skin, as it can still contaminate the body. Otherwise, the place where the skin was bitten must be monitored within 30 days of the bite.