.....arthropods, but do not belong to the Class of the Insects, like flies, fleas and lice, but to the Class of Arachnids as do mites. There are many different tick species, that vary greatly in many aspects. They have a life cycle of three stages, the larval, nymph and adult stage, on one , two or three hosts. For more detailed information on each tick species, click tick species.

They attach to a host for a blood meal. While doing so they can cause irritation and infection of the skin.These infections can sometimes be very severe. On the island Nevis in the Caribbean the cattle population has been decimated due to Dermatophilosis infections facilitatedby the tick lesions, fom 5000 to 500 head of cattle in ten years time. When ticks are attached in great quantities, they also can cause anemia in the host.

Furthermore ticks can be cariers of diseases, which they transmit from host to host while sucking bloodl. In ruminants the most important tickborne diseases are East Coast Fever, heartwater, anaplasmosis, babesiosis and ehrlichiosis.These diseases generally affect the blood and /or lymphatic system and cause symptoms of: fever; anemia and jaundice due to the break down of red blood cells (esp. in the case of babesiosis); anorexia; weight loss; milkdrop; malaise; lymphnode swelling and dyspnoea (esp. in the case of East Coast Fever); abortions and death. With heartwater, symptoms of nervous disorders, dyspnoea, diarrhoea and peracute death can be seen.

FAO focusses on ticks and tickborne diseases, that cause problems in production animals like, cattle, sheep and goats and does not deal with ticks and tickborne diseases of humans or companion animals. For more information in these fields, click on other tick sites.