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 Ixodes holocyclus before and after feeding
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| Ixodes holocyclus |
The paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is one of about 75 species of Australian tick fauna and is considered the most medically important. It is usually found in a 20-kilometre wide band following the eastern coastline of Australia. As this area also contains the majority of Australia's most densely populated regions, incidents of paralysis-tick bites on people, pets and livestock are relatively common.
Paralysis ticks are found in many types of habitat particularly areas of high rainfall such as wet sclerophyll forest and temperate rainforest[1]. The natural hosts for the paralysis tick include koalas[2], bandicoots, possums and kangaroos[1].
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Life Cycle and Behaviour
Ticks hatch as six-legged larvae after an incubation period of 40 to 60 days. Larvae search for a blood meal from a host, feed for four to six days, then drop from the host and moult to become an eight-legged nymph. Nymphs require a second blood meal before they can moult again to become an adult. Female adults then require a further blood meal of up to ten days before dropping off to lay up to 3000 eggs in leaf litter. Male adults will search for females on the host for mating, and to parasitise the females for blood meals. This life cycle takes around a year to complete[1].
To find a host, ticks use a behaviour known as "questing"; climbing onto vegetation and waving forelegs slowly until a host comes within reach. When on the human host, they may not attach immediately, but wander for up to two hours until attaching on the back of the host's head or behind an ear[1].
Tick Bites
Although most cases of tick bite are uneventful in humans, some can produce life-threatening symptoms including paralysis[3], tick typhus and severe allergic reactions. The tick's paralysing toxin has been estimated to affect as many as 100,000 domestic animals annually, with up to 10,000 companion animals being referred to veterinary surgeons for treatment. Up to 1989, 20 fatal cases had been reported in Australia.[4]
Removal
The best way to remove a tick from human skin is to use a pair of tweezers to pull the tick off as close to the skin as possible. However, removal with tweezers can stimulate the tick to inject more toxin if not performed correctly. It is advisable to avoid squeezing the main tick body by using an angled pair of tweezers which will grip the head region close in to the skin. Specialised tick removal tools are inexpensive and highly recommended in areas where ticks are prevalent.[5][6][7] Methods involving spreading butter or oil over the tick are no longer recommended.
External links
References
- ^ a b c d "Ticks". Department of Medical Entomology, University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital. http://medent.usyd.edu.au/fact/ticks.htm.
- ^ http://www.tickalert.org.au/ntivefna.htm Tick poisoning in native Australian fauna
- ^ Miller MK (2002-03-18). "Massive tick (Ixodes holocyclus) infestation with delayed facial-nerve palsy". Med J Aust. 176 (6): 264–5. PMID 11999258. http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/176_06_180302/mil10701.html.
- ^ Masina S, Broady K. W. (1999). "Tick paralysis: development of a vaccine". International Journal for Parasitology 29 (4): 535–541. doi:.
- ^ Needham GR (June 1985). "Evaluation of five popular methods for tick removal". Pediatrics 75 (6): 997–1002. PMID 4000801.
- ^ Stewart RL, Burgdorfer W, Needham GR (September 1998). "Evaluation of three commercial tick removal tools". Wilderness Environ Med. 9 (3): 137–142. PMID 11990185. http://www.wemjournal.org/pdfserv/i1080-6032-009-03-0130.pdf.
- ^ Celenza A, Rogers IR (2002). "The “Knot Method” of Tick Removal". Wilderness Environ Med. 13 (2): 181. http://www.wemjournal.org/wmsonline/?request=get-document&issn=1080-6032&volume=013&issue=02&page=0181.
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